Gwinnett Co. woman jumps from 2nd floor to escape fire

NORCROSS, Ga. — A Gwinnett County woman escaped serious injury Friday morning when she jumped from the second floor of her burning home.

Vanessa Andrade told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that her mother, Ruth Perez, 47, "smelled something burning, and she checked the stove and she checked the fireplace and everything was okay."

Andrade said her mother went back to sleep in her home on Black Hickory Place near Norcross, but when she woke up again, the house was on fire.

"She didn't have anywhere to come out from, so I guess she jumped out the back," Andrade said.

Andrade said emergency dispatchers told her mom to stay in the room until firefighters arrived to rescue her, but she thought she would die if she stayed.

Andrade said her mother told her she is OK other than her hand hurting a little.

Firefighters said the home suffered heavy fire damage and is uninhabitable.

WSBTV