Two residential fires in less than a week prompted the Roswell Fire Department to urge residents to test their smoke alarms and review home fire safety practices.
A three-story townhouse on Bridgecrest Road caught fire the evening of Tuesday, June 30, displacing three residents and damaging two adjacent units. Four days later, on Friday, July 3, a lightning strike during an evening thunderstorm ignited a one-story home on Chattahoochee Street where no smoke or fire alarms were installed.
No injuries were reported in either fire.
Bridgecrest Road: fire on three floors
The Roswell Fire Department received the call at 9:23 p.m. on June 30. The department said on Facebook that first-arriving units reached the scene in under two minutes and found heavy fire and smoke coming from the townhouse.
The fire started on the back porch of the first floor and had spread to all three floors on the rear side of the building by the time crews arrived. Two adjacent units sustained damage.
Firefighters from Roswell, Alpharetta, Milton and Sandy Springs responded and remained on scene until after midnight. Three residents were displaced. The cause of the fire has not been publicly reported.
Chattahoochee Street: no alarms inside
On July 3, crews responded to the Chattahoochee Street home with a report of occupants still inside, the department said on Facebook. The single resident escaped without injury. Responding units rescued two cats from the structure.
The department said the fire is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike. It was contained in less than 20 minutes. Investigators found no smoke or fire alarms anywhere in the home.
Department pushes safety checks
Following the two fires, the Roswell Fire Department posted a reminder on Facebook that working smoke detectors save lives and that residents should test alarms monthly and replace batteries at least once a year.
"Working smoke alarms are the single most important protection in any home," Brian Wolfe, the department's division chief of community risk reduction, said.
Beyond the specific circumstances of these two fires, Wolfe offered broader summer safety guidance. He recommended that residents fully extinguish smoking materials in a sturdy, deep ashtray or a container of water, and never dispose of them in mulch, planters or trash cans. He also advised charging lithium-ion battery devices, including phones, scooters, e-bikes and power tools, on hard surfaces and never overnight or near an exit.
The department noted that summer thunderstorms bring added fire risk because lightning can directly ignite structures or damage electrical systems. Firefighters encourage residents to stay indoors and away from windows during storms.
