Crime & Safety

Update: Restaurant Damaged in Strip Mall Blaze in Norcross

An early morning fire that began at Mughals, an Indian and Pakistani restaurant in the area of 5265 Jimmy Carter Boulevard, caused extensive damage.

Updated Aug. 18 at 8:55 a.m. 

Firefighters say that a fire in the kitchen appears to be the cause of an early morning blaze at the Mughals restaurant in the Norcross area yesterday. Fire investigators say that they suspect no foul play. 

"The blaze appears to have originated in the kitchen and spread throughout the rest of the business," said Cpt. Tommy Rutledge of the Gwinnett Fire Dept. The early morning fire caused extensive damage.

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Firefighters responded about 2 a.m. to a fire in the area of 5265 Jimmy Carter Boulevard, where they were met with heavy smoke and fire inside Mughals, according to a press statement from Capt. Rutledge.

A passerby fire alerted officials to the blaze. According to the restaurant owner, patrons had last been in the building about 11 p.m. Tuesday, so no one was in the building at the time of the fire. No injuries were reported, Rutledge said.

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Firefighters were able to contain the fire to three connected suites on one side of the building. However, fire officials said in a press statement that "the blaze gutted the business and caused extensive damage," including an outside overhang that burned away. In addition, the roof was damaged, but remained intact.

As a precaution, police evacuated people from a business on the opposite side of the shopping plaza that contained Mughals during the early stages of the incident.

The blaze was under control by 3 a.m., and the owners arrived to the site about 6 a.m. to survey the damage.

Norcross Patch reviewed the restaurant just last weekend


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