It took about three hours in the heat of the day for Gwinnett County firefighters to extinguish a fire at an abandoned house in unincorporated Hoschton Tuesday afternoon.
The fire was initially reported as possible woods fire off the roadway on Hog Mountain Road near Braselton Highway.
When firefighters arrived just after 3 p.m., they discovered an abandoned ranch-style house on a basement that was fully involved in flames. Access to the house was hampered because of a large-dirt pile in the front and the driveway had been bulldozed, according to a statement from the Gwinnett County Fire Department. They said the house was sitting on land in the process of being excavated by the owner, who is a developer. No one was at the scene at the time of the fire.
Additional units were requested to assist with fire control efforts.
Firefighters worked in their gear during the heat of the day and rotated through an on-scene rehab in order to stay cool, rehydrate with fluids and have their vital signs checked before returning to fire-ground activity. Crews remained at the scene until just after 6 p.m.
The exact cause of the fire is undetermined and is under investigation.
