Lightning strike sparks house fire in Gwinnett County, firefighter injured

Lightning starts home fire in Lawrenceville

A firefighter is recovering from injuries after the roof collapsed while he was searching for survivors in a burning Gwinnett County home.

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - A firefighter is recovering after officials say he was injured while searching for survivors in a burning home in Gwinnett County.

Authorities say they believe the fire was started by a lightning strike during the storms early Wednesday morning.

What we know:

Officials with Gwinnett County Fire Rescue say they first received a call about a house fire on the 1900 block of Grouse Court NW in Lawrenceville shortly after 2 a.m.

The caller told 911 operators that lightning had struck the house and that they were evacuating.

When firefighters got to the scene minutes later, they found flames shooting from the attic of the split-level home.

The crews got to work attacking the flames. While at least one firefighter was inside the home looking for victims, the roof collapsed, injuring him. His crew members were able to get him out safely and treat his injuries.

The crews were able to get the fire under control shortly after 2:30 a.m.

Dig deeper:

Medics rushed the injured firefighter to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. He has since been released. No one else was injured in the incident.

The homeowners say that their teenage son was awake and saw the lightning hit the house above its kitchen and noticed the flames. He then alerted the family and helped them escape.

What's next:

The Red Cross is assisting the 11 family members displaced by the fire.