A discarded cigarette gets the blame for a house fire in Suwanee Monday afternoon.
Gwinnett County Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said in a press statement crews arrived at the house on Privet Circle at 3:36 p.m. and found flames and smoke coming from a second floor balcony of the two-story house. He said the fire was brought under control within 20 minutes, but the two occupants - husband and wife - were displaced.
Rutledge said the couple had just returned home when a neighbor saw the fire and alerted them, so they were able to get out of the house without being hurt.
The origin of the fire was traced to the second floor balcony where cigarettes had been improperly discarded, said Rutledge. He noted that careless smoking is among the leading causes of home fire deaths in the United States, so he cautioned residents to be extra careful when disposing of cigarette butts.
