A home in Lawrenceville was set on fire Wednesday and Gwinnett County fire investigators are looking for the arsonist responsible, said Capt. Tommy Rutledge, a spokesman for Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services.
The fire started around 6:30 a.m., and neighbors called 911 when they saw smoke and flames coming from the Kibbe Circle Northwest home. The neighbors tried to put the fire out with a garden hose, but the blaze was still going when firefighters arrived, Rutledge said.
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The residents of the house weren’t home at the time of the fire, but firefighters rescued a dog that required medical oxygen when it was removed from the house. The dog was returned to its owners at the scene of the fire, Rutledge said. Two adults and three children have been displaced by the fire.
Fire investigators found “multiple points of origin” around the home where the fire was set, Rutledge said. An “accelerant” was used to start the blaze, but investigators are not disclosing what the accelerant was because it is part of the ongoing investigation, Rutledge said.
“This blaze was a bold act that could have placed a number of people in extreme danger,” Rutledge said.
Arson is a felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Anyone who has information related to this fire should contact the Gwinnett Fire Investigations Section at 678-518-4890 or the Georgia Arson Control Hotline at 1-800-282-5804. Georgia Arson Control offers a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to an arrest or conviction.
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