Dacula Police Blotter

Thief Steals GPS, Money but Leaves Neighbor’s Wallet and Camera

Incident one of several car break-ins that took place in Hamilton Mill during the overnight hours of Aug. 4.

On Aug. 5, a Hamilton Mill homeowner discovered his GPS unit and a bag of change had been stolen out of his vehicle but, fortunately for one of his neighbors, the thief left something behind. According to the Gwinnett County Police report, the victim discovered a wallet and camera belonging to a man who lives nearby in his vehicle. The victim, whose vehicle had been left unlocked, also noticed some damage to the dashboard of the vehicle that appeared to have been caused when the thief or thieves attempted to remove the radio. The wallet and camera were returned to the neighbor, who decided not to file a report. The incidents, both on Lake Heights Circle in the High Point subdivision of Hamilton Mill, were two of four that occurred on that …

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Vehicles Damaged by Fire Near Mall of Georgia

A blaze broke out near the Longhorn restaurant on Saturday evening. Another vehicle also was damaged.

A vehicle was destroyed by fire Saturday evening, Aug. 4, when flames broke out outside the Longhorn restaurant around 7 p.m. near the Mall of Georgia in Buford, according to a Gwinnett Fire spokesperson. Gwinnett Fire spokesperson Lt. Colin Rhoden said a caller reported the fire was close to the building, and Gwinnett Police noted that the fire was spreading quickly. On arrival, fire crews found one vehicle fully involved and part of the grass in the area on fire. Firefighters quickly laid out fire hose lines and extinguished the fire. One vehicle was heavily damaged, and another vehicle close to the first sustained damage from heat exposure. The fire is of unknown origin, Rhoden said. No injuries were reported. A nearby observer …

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Tim Sullivan

11:49 am on Monday, August 6, 2012

Careless smoker no doubt   more ›

Family Displaced in Early Morning Fire

No one injured after home catches on fire, but house extensively damaged.

The Red Cross was called to assist three adults and three children after an early morning fire heavily damaged an Auburn home. Fire crews were dispatched to a house in the 2000 block of Blackberry Lane in Auburn at 3:36 a.m. after one of the residents reported the home was on fire. When firefighters arrived eight minutes later, the family was already outside the residence. "On arrival, crews found heavy fire involvement through the roof," said Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services public information officer Lt. Colin Rhoden in a press release.  "Fire attack lines were laid and an aggressive interior attack was made."  According to the GCFES press release, the fire caused heavy damage to the interior of the home. Fire investigators believe …

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Lightning Strike Causes Outbuilding Fire

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services crews responded to several storm related incidents on May 21.

An outbuilding was completely destroyed by fire 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. "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 …

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Work Light Ignites Fire in Attic

No one injured after insulation catches fire in Dacula home.

An overheated work light is being blamed for a May 3 fire in the attic of a Dacula home. Police and firefighters were called to a Leighs Brook Way residence after a contractor working at the residence discovered a fire in the attic. According to the homeowner, a contractor had been spraying insulation in the attic and left the home to pick up additional supplies. While the contractor was gone, the upstairs smoke detectors activated. The homeowner initially believed the fumes from the sprayed insulation had caused the smoke detectors to alarm. Two other contractors working at the scene checked the attic and found nothing amiss. Once the main contractor returned, the homeowner asked him to check the attic after noticing an odor of burning …

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UPDATED: Gas Tanker Overturns on Winder Highway Near Hwy. 316

Officials say approximately 8,500 gallons of fuel were in the tanker at the time of the accident. Two thousand gallons of spilled fuel have been recovered from a nearby creek.

UPDATED April 9 at 9:15 p.m. Crews from the Environmental Protection Agency and SWS Environmental Services are working to clean up fuel that spilled from an overturned gas tanker on Winder Highway near Highway 316 in Dacula. The gas tanker was involved in an accident with a white Jeep Cherokee shortly after noon on Monday.  "The white Jeep Cherokee crossed the center line and hit the tractor trailer basically head on," said Gwinnett County Police public information officer Cpl. Jake Smith. As a result of the collision, the driver of the tanker lost control of the vehicle and the tanker overturned. The tanker was carrying 8,500 gallons of fuel at the time of the accident.  Both drivers were transported to Gwinnett Medical Center in …

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UPDATED: Lightning Strikes Hamilton Mill Home

Fire damage contained to attic and roof.

UPDATED April 4 at 10:35 a.m. The thunderstorms that moved through the area Tuesday night resulted in two Gwinnett house fires, one in the Hamilton Mill subdivision in Dacula. Just after 10 p.m., firefighters responded to the 2200 block of Floral Ridge Drive. When crews arrived, flames were showing from the attic and roof of a two-story home.  The fire was quickly brought under control with the fire damage contained to the attic and roof. According to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services public information officer Capt. Thomas Rutledge, the home sustained some smoke and water damage in the main living areas. "Firefighters worked fast to stop the fire spread," Rutledge said in a released statement. "Interior crews were also able to …

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Deadly House Fire Kills Woman, Injures Man

Home on Flowery Branch Road deemed a total loss by fire officials.

Gwinnett County Fire investigators are attempting to determine the cause of a deadly house fire that claimed the life of one person and injured another. Crews were dispatched to the 1900 block of Flowery Branch Road in Auburn just before 8 p.m. Saturday evening. Firefighters arrived seven minutes later to find a two-story Cape Cod style home fully engulfed in flames according to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services public information officer Lt. Eric Eberly. “First-due companies were made aware of an entrapment and despite the concern for the firefighters own well being, crews immediately entered the residence in an offensive mode - rescue priority,” Eberly said in a released statement.  Firefighters found an adult male in the front…

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High Creek Run Home Damaged by Fire

No injuries reported.

A home in the 2600 block of High Creek Run sustained damage to an exterior wall as a result of a Monday evening fire. Firefighters were dispatched to the home at 7:25 p.m. When crews arrived, they found smoke showing from the two-story wood frame house. According to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services public information officer Capt. Tommy Rutledge, firefighters removed the exterior siding from one wall to extinguish the flames and prevent the blaze from spreading to the main living space and attic. The fire damaged the wall and spread light smoke throughout the house. No injuries were reported. The fire was under control by 7:48 p.m. The cause of the blaze has not been determined.

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Kristi Reed

7:53 pm on Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Hi Caroline - Sorry, I don't have any photos. I got the press release just before 9 p.m. last night and didn't go to the scene to take photos before I posted it.   more ›

Hot Tub, Deck Damaged by Fire

Flames quickly brought under control, no injuries reported.

A home in the 2500 block of Harbins Spring Cove in Dacula was damaged Saturday afternoon when a fire broke out on the back deck. According to Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services public information officer Capt. Tommy Rutledge, the fire was reported by a neighbor just before 3:30 p.m. The residents were not at home at the time of the incident. When firefighters arrived, they were able to quickly extinguish the fire before it extended to the interior of the home. The blaze caused damage to the back deck and hot tub. The cause of the fire is not known.

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