A disabled man is dead after two Lawrenceville homes caught on fire Friday afternoon.
Gwinnett County firefighters responded to the 9-1-1 call with information an autistic man was entrapped in the basement of a split-level home while it was ablaze, Donald Strother with Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services said in a press release.
Radio traffic alerted incoming units of a second fire of a home next door to the left. The district commander requested two additional fire engines, a fire truck and a medical unit respond to the initial call, Strother said.
Fire personnel fought both fires and deployed multiple hand lines in order to search the home in attempt to find the victim stuck inside.
According to the press release, once the victim was located, he was removed from the home through a basement window. Minutes later, the man was loaded onto a medical unit and rushed to the hospital in critical condition. The man was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital.
Aerial operations were used to get the fire under control.
Due to a collapse within the structure, a technical rescue team was requested at the scene. The department of water resources were needed to take down an unsafe wall and separate debris so the fire could be completely extinguished.
The home of the entrapped man was a total loss due to the fire damage and structural collapse. The neighboring home had extensive charring, but the damage was limited to the exterior.
Fire investigators are actively working to determine the cause of the fire, while firefighters are rotating in and out of rehab to get their vitals checked and rehydrated. No injuries of fire personnel were reported, the release stated.
The American Red Cross will provide temporary assistance for three adults and eight children that have been displaced.
