LOGANVILLE, Ga. (AP) — Authorities say two adults and three children were able to escape from their burning home in Loganville when they smelled smoke.

The blaze was so intense that it damaged at least three other houses nearby.

Gwinnett County fire officials say crews arrived at the home in Loganville around 6:30 p.m. Thursday and found heavy fire. They said it appeared to have started on the home's exterior and quickly spread to the attic.

Heat from the blaze sparked a small fire in the attic of a neighboring home and melted the siding on a couple of other nearby houses. Firefighters sprayed water on neighboring homes to protect them.

Loganville is about 30 miles northeast of Atlanta.