GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Gwinnett County firefighters want to remind people about candle safety after a family lost dog in a house fire.
Crews responded to the home off Laurel Falls Drive in Snellville around 1:25 p.m. When firefighters arrived, they saw a heavy fire at a two-story home.
Video posted on the fire department’s Facebook page shows intense flames coming from the front porch.
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Officials said they went into an aggressive attack on the porch before moving inside the house. Firefighters got the fire under control about 20 minutes later.
Firefighters said the family was not home at the time of the fire, but they did find the family’s dog dead inside the home. Officials ruled the fire as accidental and said it started from a candle that was lit downstairs.
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The National Fire Protection Association estimates an average of 5,700 house fires were started by a candle each year between 2017 and 2021 resulted in 80 deaths, 560 injuries and $247 million in property damage.
The NFPA reports that December is the peak month for candle fires with Christmas Day seeing roughly 2.5 times the daily average.
Read more about fire safety this holiday season here.
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