A resident briefly trapped by fire inside a Gwinnett County home was hospitalized after his rescue on Tuesday morning.
A 911 call placed to emergency services at 10:43 a.m. reported a house fire on Mephisto Circle in Lawrenceville, with the caller also saying her father was still inside the residence at the time of the call.
"Gwinnett County firefighters arrived to witness neighbors placing a ladder at a second-story window in an attempt to rescue an adult male," said Lt. Ryan McGiboney with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services. "Gwinnett County firefighters immediately assisted with the rescue and moved the patient to the yard where they began providing emergency medical care until the arrival of the responding ambulance."
The unnamed man was transported from the scene to a local hospital for treatment and further evaluation.
Lt. McGiboney said that firefighters deployed multiple attack lines to try and extinguish the fire, and rescued two dogs from the fire in the course of their attack.
A "rapid intervention team" was established during this effort, and Lt. McGiboney said the fire was eventually brought under control.
"After the fire was extinguished, it was discovered that the fire had started on the first floor, burned out the staircase, and trapped the victim upstairs," he said. "Investigators ruled the fire accidental in nature after determining the fire originated in the area of HVAC equipment."
Two adult family members were displaced by the fire, and was being assisted the American Red Cross in their effort to find temporary shelter.
