NORCROSS | Fire rips through apartment under construction

NORCROSS, Ga. -- A large fire raged through a building undergoing renovations Thursday morning.

The fire was reported shortly after 5 a.m. near the Overlook Summit apartments on Chase Lane in Norcross. The original 911 call reported a brush fire; 11Alive's Julie Wolfe learned that crews are trying to determine whether the brush fire caused the building fire or vice versa.

The flames were visible from Interstate 85, according to Gwinnett Fire spokesman Tommy Rutledge.

Originally, investigators thought part of the apartment complex was on fire. They now say that the fire was limited to a nearby empty building.

When crews tried to tap a nearby fire hydrant, they discovered that it was dry; they had to use 1,000 feet of fire hose to bring water to the blaze, according to investigators.

Two nearly buildings were evacuated while crews battled the fire. The all-clear was given at around 7 a.m.

Julie Wolfe learned that the opposite side of the same building caught fire in October. That blaze burned all the way into the building's firewall. Some of the apartment complex residents have complained of flickering lights and bad wiring in their units.

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NORCROSS | Fire rips through apartment under construction