DULUTH, Ga. — An early morning apartment fire in Duluth left residents of at least two dozen apartments looking for a place to stay.
According to the Gwinnett County Fire Department, the fire started around midnight at the Cortland Apartments on Herington Road.
Firefighters told Channel 2 Action News they found an active fire when they got to the complex and immediately worked to rescue residents trapped inside, saving eight people.
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Fire crews were still working the scene on Tuesday afternoon, pouring water on the large, smoldering apartment building even after the sun came up.
“It started off as a small flame that went to medium to...it was just a torch,” a resident told Channel 2’s Steve Gehlbach.
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Another fire victim, who didn’t want to go on camera, said he was one of the first residents to smell the smoke, go outside and hit the fire alarm.
Firefighters moved fast, getting ladders up to windows on the second and third floors. T hey knew there were people trapped on upper floors during rescue efforts.
They also used the aerial ladder from a firetruck to help get the eight people out of the building who couldn’t get out on their own.
“Our crews went into rescue mode,” Capt. Ryan McGiboney, Gwinnett Fire & Emergency Services, said. “W were able to make eight rescues, three were checked by our medical crews on scene and released.”
McGiboney said they had plenty of water and kept it flowing so it didn’t freeze during the operation. Firefighters also put salt out on the ground to keep the pavement from icing over.
Still, the fire left families out in the cold. They went to a nearby clubhouse building or stayed in their cars to stay warm.
Many residents said they were still in disbelief. They don’t know when they can get back inside, what they might be able to save and where they can stay to have roofs over their heads.
“Now we don’t have a home to go to, just lost right now, trying to figure it out,” one resident said.
The American Red Cross said it is working with 22 victims, nine families, to help them recover from the damage.
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