Girl, 13, Smells Smoke, Alerts Family of Fire

A Lilburn 13-year-old was credited with alerting her family of an early-morning fire on Pendale Drive Monday and possibly preventing a more tragic outcome.

Gwinnett Fire Capt. Jeff Johnson said the teenage was getting ready for school just before 7 a.m. when she smelled smoke from a first-floor utility room.

She then went upstairs to tell her grandparents and parents. One of the adults called 911. Four adults and the daughter were in the house at the time of the fire.

"They were all able to get out safely," Johnson said. "They got all of the [eight] pets out safely, too.

"The daughter knew exactly what to do."

Johnson said the house received moderate smoke and water damage. The cause is undetermined, but appears to be accidental, according to firefighters. The house did not not have any working smoke detectors, although firefighters say the homeowners said detectors had been purchased but had not been installed yet.

Firefighters responded to the fire at 7:03 a.m. and had it under control by 7:20 a.m.