5 families displaced after fire at Lawrenceville apartments

A fire that displaced five families at a Gwinnett County apartment complex was brought under control after several hours Tuesday morning, officials said.

Crews put out the main blaze around 9 a.m. at the Water Vista Apartments in Lawrenceville and stayed at the scene working to contain hot spots throughout the morning, Gwinnett fire spokesman Capt. Brian Gaeth said. Officials at the scene said five families lost their apartments and they were working to obtain a final headcount of those affected.

The fire began when contractors working at the complex turned on the unit’s furnace and noticed smoke coming from the vents right away, Gwinnett fire Lt. Ryan McGiboney said from the scene. The contractors quickly alerted residents and called the fire department.

Responding firefighters found the blaze mostly contained in the attic, McGiboney said. They were able to quickly suppress the fire and limit the damage, although six of the building’s 18 units were affected. No one was injured during the incident.

McGiboney said volunteers from the Red Cross were at the scene working with the management staff to secure temporary housing.