NORCROSS, Ga. -- According to a resident, sprinklers were not working at a Norcross apartment building that went up in flames early Sunday morning.
Gwinnett County firefighters initially responded at 3:25 a.m. Sunday to an apartment fire at the KRC Apartments in the 5600 block of Brook Hollow Parkway in Norcross.
When they arrived, crews found an active fire in one apartment unit with flames extending into an adjoining unit. Gwinnett Fire Captain Tommy Rutledge says there is extensive fire damage to two units in the building and smoke and water damage in several adjoining units. He says power was cut to the remainder of the building as a result of the damage.
One of the residents, Robbie Byrd, says the sprinklers in the building had been shut off in Spring 2018 and never turned back on. Other residents say there was a pipe that burst in March, forcing the shut-off of the system.
"They -- uh -- cut it off early this spring because of water damage and everything in the place," Byrd said Sunday morning. "They never cut it back on."
His apartment was adjacent to the one that burned. Byrd said he and his wife were about to go to sleep when they saw smoke seep from an air vent.
"Next thing I know, we hear the fire alarm going off next-door," he said. "The neighbor -- he ran and came back out, and flames shooting out of his living room. I said, 'Oh, my Lord.'"
Byrd says he and his wife lost most of their possessions as a result of smoke and water damage in their apartment.
Rutledge was asked about the disabled sprinklers.
"We've been made aware of that at the Command Post. We're going to be looking into that. That's something that we'll be in communication with the Fire Marshal about," Rutledge said. "A working sprinkler system does allow a fire to be contained or extinguished, and that was not the case in this building."
"The (fire) chief said that's very interesting. That could have saved a lot of stuff," Byrd said.
Leasing manager Mirtza Garcia arrived at about 10 a.m. and told 11Alive's Christie Ethridge that she slept through the phone call in the middle of the night.
"Some of the residents were talking about how the sprinklers didn't come on when the fire came on -- do you know why that would be the case?" Ethridge asked.
"I don't have an idea, I have to be totally honest with you," Garcia said. "But I will check with my maintenance supervisor, because they are supposed to work."
"We take the allegation of the sprinkler system malfunction very seriously, but we have no definitive information on the cause of the fire nor to substantiate the allegation of a sprinkler malfunction," said Strategic Management Partners regional vice president James Benji Alday in a statement late Sunday morning. SMP is the ownership group of the apartment complex. "At this time, our top priority is ensuring the residents displaced are made comfortable and have immediate housing. Our team is working with the Red Cross to ensure the families immediate needs are addressed. We have also provided food and basic household supplies for them at a sister community where they are being offered permanent housing."
For now, Byrd is keeping the faith.
"We don't have nothing, but we still got our good soul, spirit and mind," he said. "You know? Trust in God."
Rutledge said the exact cause of the fire is undetermined and is presently under investigation.
No injuries have been reported. The American Red Cross has been contacted to provide assistance to the 32 residents displaced as a result of the fire.
