NORCROSS, Ga. -- A Gwinnett County apartment fire is raising a lot of questions about safety.
Thirty-two people lost their homes in an early morning fire Sunday at the KRC Hilltops Apartments. Officials said they reported a problem with the sprinkler system just months before.
Many are now asking if that were the case, why wasn't the system working Sunday when the fire broke out.
Fortunately, no one was hurt during the blaze. But as it turns out, the apartment complex and the fire department knew that the sprinkler system was not working in March.
In a news release, Gwinnett fire officials said firefighters were called to the same apartment building in late March of this year by a resident reporting a water leak from the system that was causing damage in her apartment unit. Officials said firefighters had to shut the system off in order to stop the damage and prevent any potential electrical hazard.
Officials said Sunday that firefighters notified apartment management and instructed them to conduct a “fire-watch” until the system was back online. They were told to also contact their sprinkler company to make repairs and restore the system.
11Alive spoke to the management to find out if the system was fixed. Management said it was fixed, but they had no proof to show of it.
Gwinnett fire officials said a fire inspector responded to the scene Sunday and will be conducting additional follow-up in the days to come, according to the news release.
11Alive sent several questions to the fire department to see if there were follow-ups after March. They say they are working on getting the answers.
Meanwhile, the American Red Cross has been contacted to provide assistance to the 32 residents displaced as a result of the fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
