GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — A 67-year-old woman died in a house fire early Sunday morning in Snellville, marking Gwinnett County’s 10th fire death of 2025 and surpassing the last three years combined.
Firefighters responded to the home on Jonathan Court just after 1 a.m. on Sunday.
Patricia Troyka’s husband told 911 dispatchers his wife was still inside, according to firefighters.
“There were reports before we arrived that the husband said that his wife was still in the home,” said Lt. Jessica Joiner with the Gwinnett County Fire Department.
The husband woke to smoke alarms and found flames in the garage. He yelled for his wife to get out, then ran to a neighbor’s house to call 911.
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Firefighters faced multiple challenges. It was difficult to navigate the interior of the home with hose lines.
A window on the front of the house was boarded up, forcing crews to use a chainsaw to create a second exit, according to Joiner.
Tragically, they found Troyka’s body in a bathroom. It took around 30 minutes and four hose lines to extinguish the flames.
The fire started in the garage, but investigators have not determined a cause.
The spike in deaths prompted Gwinnett County Fire to intensify its community outreach.
“With this many deaths this year, we are making a focused, just an intensified effort to get that message out in the community of being prepared,” said Capt. Ryan McGiboney in October.
Fire crews have been going door-to-door in neighborhoods across the county, installing 10-year smoke alarms, teaching families to test them monthly, and helping create escape plans for every room.
“Make sure that if you do have smoke alarms in your home, check those weekly to make sure that they work because smoke alarms do save lives,” Joiner said.
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