Gwinnett Co. firefighters battle two house fires in Buford

BUFORD - Fire crews in Gwinnett County not only have had to fight two house fires in Buford this weekend, but also they have battled the cold in the process.<br /> <br /> The first fire happened Saturday morning at a home on East Maddox Road. Fire crews were called to the scene at 3:17 a.m., according to a press statement from Gwinnett County Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge. He said a neighbor who lived across the street from the burning home called 911 to report the fire.<br /> <br /> Rutledge said two occupants were home at the time, and they were able to escape unharmed. He said the fire started in a fireplace being used as a heat source in the wood-frame house. The couple attempted to douse the flames with a garden hose, but their efforts - and those of firefighters - could not save the house. It was deemed a complete loss. <br /> <br /> Rutledge said five people - two adults and three children -were displaced by the fire; they are being helped by relatives.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, a second house fire in Buford happened in a vacant house on Roosevelt Circle around 2:45 a.m. Rutledge said when crews arrived at the scene they found an <br /> older single-story wood frame house with the rear of the structure well-involved in flames. In addition, a landscape-style truck parked at the back of the house also was on fire. <br /> <br /> Firefighters determined that the house was vacant. There is no word yet on what sparked that fire.<br /> <br /> Rutledge said the extreme cold made fighting both fires more challenging. He said all crews rotated through a rehab area at each scene to hydrate and spend time out of the cold. None of the firefighters suffered complications in either incident.