Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services battled a Monday morning fire at an apartment complex in Suwannee.
Gwinnett Fire officials said firefighters responded at around 10:44 a.m. to reports of a fire on the balcony of the third-floor apartment at The Residences on McGinnis Ferry at 4021 McGinnis Ferry Road in Suwanee.
When crews arrived they found fire involvement on the third-floor unit extending into the attic space.
Officials said three hose lines were deployed to extinguish the blaze.
Firefighters checked adjacent apartments for fire and found smoke and water damage.
Responders confirmed that all residents were evacuated from apartment units and cleared lower-level units which revealed no fire.
Once the fire was under control, responders found heavy fire damage in the initial fire unit and five other units were heavily water-damaged.
No medical complaints or injuries were reported.
The occupant of the apartment had been smoking on the balcony and then went inside to work nearly 15 minutes before the fire.
The apartment occupant said she noticed a popping coming from the balcony, turned to look and found fire on the balcony.
According to officials she ran to get a fire extinguisher but by the time she returned, the fire had grown significantly and she felt she needed to evacuate. The occupant then pulled the fire alarm and called 911.
Five occupants were evacuated due to the blaze.
The American Red Cross was requested for 14 residents who were displaced due to fire and water damage.
Fire Investigators responded to the scene for cause and determination. Investigators determined the fire originated in the third-floor balcony and the cause to be accidental in nature.
