Suwanee family displaced by fire

SUWANEE - An early morning fire in the 4600 block of Arbor Crest Place destroyed a home and displaced a family of six.

Gwinnett fire officials said a man called 9-1-1 just after 5:30 a.m. to report the blaze. He told authorities he awoke to his alarm clock at 5:30 and immediately smelled smoke. As he was investigating the source of the fire, the smoke alarms in the house began to sound.

The man, his wife and four children were able to escape the blaze without injury.

"The fire had already made tremendous headway even as fire crews responded," said Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge.

At this point, it appears the fire is accidental, starting in the laundry room on the main level of the house, possibly in the area of the clothes dryer.

The house is described as a total loss; the family is being assisted by relatives.