A two-story home in East Forsyth County was declared a total loss after it caught fire early Tuesday morning, and a firefighter was injured while working to extinguish that blaze.
Forsyth County Fire Department Division Chief Jason Shivers said crews responded at about 3:30 a.m. to the home on Emerald Pointe Lane off Browns Bridge Road. Shivers said the home has a Gainesville mailing address but is located in unincorporated Forsyth County.
Arriving crews found the two-story home heavily involved.
"Essentially, the house fell in on itself," Shivers said. "It fell into the basement as it collapsed during the fire, which creates a lot of work to have to continue to extinguish those deep-seated hotspots in the fire."
Three adults and three children lived in the home. Shivers said a smoke alarm activated and alerted the family of the fire, allowing them to safely escape before crews arrived.
The home was declared a total loss. The occupants were not injured, but they were displaced. The American Red Cross was called for assistance.
One firefighter was transported to an area hospital with an ankle injury and chest pains. That crew member was in stable condition as of Tuesday afternoon.
"He's been undergoing a number of tests today," Shivers said. "The latest word on him is that he'll be able to make a full recovery and be back on duty within a week or so."
The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Forsyth County Fire Marshal's Office.
Shivers said crews were on the scene until about 8:30 a.m.
