Lightning Strike Causes Outbuilding Fire in Gwinnett

An outbuilding was completely destroyed by fire in Buford after lightning struck a nearby tree during Monday evening's storms.

Firefighters were dispatched to the 2900 block of Bart Johnson Road (off Hamilton Mill Road) in Buford at 7:25 p.m. after a 50x50 outbuilding caught fire. According to a Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services (GCFES) press release, the outbuilding was near a travel trailer, propane tanks and a single family residence.

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"Due to the advanced state of the fire, crews operated in a defensive mode," stated GCFES public information officer Lt. Eric Eberly. "Firefighters deployed numerous handlines to protect exposures and extinguish the fire."

The outbuilding is a total loss, but the residence was undamaged.

As severe weather moved through the area from 6 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Monday, May 21, GCFES crews responded to reports of two apartment fires, four house fires, two grass fires, 11 auto accidents with injuries and 25 calls for medical emergencies.