DULUTH, GA — Eight people are safely rescued after a fire tears through an apartment building Monday night in Duluth.
Gwinnett County fire crews responded to a fire at the Cortland Duluth Apartments on Harrington Road, where heavy flames and thick smoke were visible when firefighters arrived. Gwinnett Fire Captain Ryan McGiboney says several residents were trapped and in need of rescue.
“When we arrived on scene there were several rescues pending; people on the balcony and in windows,” McGiboney said.
Firefighters went into rescue priority mode, using both ground and aerial ladders to reach residents trapped on upper floors.
“Our crews noticed smoke showing, so we went into rescue priority mode and rescued eight individuals,” McGiboney said.
At least three of the people rescued were treated on scene for minor injuries and later released. McGiboney says crews are grateful the situation did not turn out worse.
“The biggest thing that we’re grateful for is that we were able to get everyone out alive,” he said.
Fire officials say at least six units were directly damaged by fire, with water damage throughout the building. McGiboney says the 28-unit building was fully evacuated before crews shifted to a defensive strategy due to structural concerns.
“Several units, at least six of them, were damaged directly by fire and there’s water damage throughout the building,” he said.
Residents displaced by the fire are receiving assistance from the Red Cross. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
WSB Radio’s Graham Carroll contributed to this story.
