The Pineland Road Fire, which has burned 32,575 acres since it began on April 18, is 90% contained, the Georgia Forestry Commission said in a Thursday update.

The Brantley County/Highway 82 Fire, which has burned 22,420 acres since its April 20 start, is 90% contained as well, the commission said.

Fueled by high winds and extreme drought, hundreds of homes have been destroyed in the Georgia wildfires.

Officials advise people to stay clear of fire zones as crews continue to monitor hot spots and advance containment.

WALB-TV NBC 10 Albany

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The engines will go to stations at Atlantic Station, Lenox, Grove Park, West End and Lakewood.

“With these new engines, we’re able to not only enhance our reserve unit fleet, but we’re also able to enhance firefighter safety, response time and reduce maintenance costs in general,” Deputy Chief David Bohatch said.

These engines were ordered two years ago and were very necessary.

Currently, the department has 33 engines and 14 trucks.

On Wednesday, fire officials said as the city grows, public safety has to expand, and this is an example.

“In general, anytime we have new equipment it’s just going to reduce our response times, enhance our ability to keep the apparatus in service due to maintenance requirements,” Bohatch said. “And also just in general with the tech upgrades, enhance the firefighters’ safety and the way they respond to emergencies.”

WGCL-TV CBS 46 Atlanta

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Johns Creek firefighters were called to the home on Winding Bridge Way around 11:30 p.m. after reports of a fire pouring through the house. When crews arrived, they found heavy flames engulfing the residence.

Firefighters initially entered through the front door and encountered fire spreading rapidly across the first floor and into the second floor and ceiling area.

Officials said conditions worsened when parts of the ceiling began to cave in and the roof started collapsing, forcing crews to evacuate the structure.

The fire department said crews faced extreme heat and needed aerial support to knock down the flames. Firefighters later used a drone to locate hot spots throughout the home.

Officials believe a family of three may have lived at the house, but no one was inside at the time of the fire.

WAGA-TV FOX 5 Atlanta

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Crews were dispatched at approximately 4:37 p.m. Authorities said their initial findings indicate the fire originated from an AC unit on the roof. Officials said the fire spread across the roof and partially collapsed, but remained contained to that area of the building.

The affected portion of the apartment complex was evacuated as firefighters worked to extinguish the blaze. Officials have not yet said how many apartment units were evacuated. No injuries have been reported.

“A memorable Mother’s Day for sure,” said Courtney Curtis, a mother who had been out with her family grabbing dinner near the apartment fire.

“Just not the way I thought would spend Mother’s Day,” said Kathy Combs, who lives in the apartment building.

Combs said she was at the store when her daughter called to tell her the apartment building was on fire.

“I had to park my car up at the gas station and run here and I — when you run some things don’t work in the way they used to. But anyway I got here and was able to find my daughter and grandson to be OK,” Combs said.

WGCL-TV CBS 46 Atlanta

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The fire has burned 22,420 acres, as of Sunday, and destroyed over 100 structures. First responders said residents should remain cautious despite progress toward full containment.

“We are going to continue to ride every inch of this containment line to make sure there is no risks,” a Casey Tudor, with the Georgia Forestry Commission said.

Firefighters are working to eliminate remaining hot spots throughout the area. Tudor said the remaining fire is mostly underground, smoldering in stump holes. Residents are no longer seeing active flames or blankets of smoke.

Tudor said the main hazard residents should watch for is falling trees.

“Also with the rain that we’ve had coming in that’s softened the ground in combination with root damage from these fires, that could cause those trees to fall,” Tudor said. “If you notice any root damage that’s visible, I would recommend contacting a tree professional and have that evaluated.”

WTOC-TV CBS 11 Savannah

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Fire crews were called to the home on River Close at around 7:30 p.m. They quickly addressed the flames and had them under control by 8 p.m.

Everyone in the home got out, and no injuries were reported.

The incident happened as a line of strong storms marched through metro Atlanta, bringing heavy rain and lightning.

According to the fire department, the neighbor noticed the bright flash and went outside to see fire and smoke rising from the roof next door.

Firefighters remind the public that smoke alarms should be installed on every floor of the house, inside every bedroom and outside each sleeping area.

If your attic has HVAC equipment or electric/solar panels, you should also consider installing a heat detector, which is designed to work in already hot spaces.

WGCL-TV CBS 46 Atlanta

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Captain Cal Burton, who served as a firefighter for a decade, said the experience brought him face-to-face with devastation that training alone cannot prepare someone for.

“I got a family at home. I got a wife and two kids. I can’t imagine what I would do if we lost everything,” Burton said.

He described seeing the wildfire’s impact long before arriving on scene.

“From miles out there’s just a haze of smoke. The fire is still going. You can see the column of smoke — pretty intimidating to see how much destruction it was causing,” Burton said.

Once there, Burton said the damage became even more real.

“You could see the remains of houses. You drive down some of the roads, and it’s total destruction. Everything’s gone,” he said.

Despite the destruction, Burton said his focus stayed on helping others.

Houston County Fire Chief Chris Stoner also deployed to South Georgia and called the wildfire one of the worst he has seen in his career.

WMAZ-TV CBS 13 Macon

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Leaders held separate groundbreakings for the new police headquarters and new fire facilities.

For a young city and police department, the new police headquarters is not only exciting but also necessary, according to interim Managing Public Safety Director Dr. Cedric Alexander.

“This new building, this new facility is going to provide us with everything that we need in order to make sure that we’re operating in the 21st century and we’re keeping the community safe,” he said of the new police headquarters.

The goal is to get this department up to speed when it comes to modern policing and technology-driven operations. That will include a real-time crime center that will give officers access to live data and camera feeds.

Last year, officials gave a tour of South Fulton police and fire facilities, where residents were able to see why new facilities were needed.

WGCL-TV CBS 46 Atlanta

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The Atlanta Police Department, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department and Grady EMS participated in a full-scale exercise of an active shooter scenario at Centennial Olympic Park.

Officials said the No. 1 goal is to stop the violence in such a situation and save as many lives as possible.

About 100 officers and approximately 50 firefighters were involved in the training. Officials said the training was held at Centennial Olympic Park because that’s where they’re expecting big crowds for fan fests.

Centennial Olympic Park is also where a bombing happened during the 1996 Olympics, so officials said that situation and response was used in Monday’s training.

“That event was looked at extensively, and this is what helped us because that event was looked at by the Atlanta Police Department, by the FBI and by the GBI,” Atlanta Police Assistant Chief Carven Tyus said.

WGCL-TV CBS 46 Atlanta

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The fire occurred at a location on Rays Road, with crews responding around 4:30 a.m. When crews arrived, Captain Jaeson Daniels said, they “found a home engulfed in flames.”

Fire officials said when crews got to the scene “several residents were outside and stating that there was someone still inside the home.”

“Crews quickly made entry and found an adult female victim, in critical condition with smoke inhalation,” DeKalb Fire Rescue said. “Additionally, there was a stable female child who had escaped the burning home prior to our arrival, with smoke inhalation. Both were transported to local hospitals.”

Fire crews later learned a man with burns to his hand was on scene, as well, and he was hospitalized. There were a total of seven residents at the home when the fire started.

WXIA-TV NBC 11 Atlanta

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When crews arrived on the scene at 343 Archer Way NW, they saw intense flames coming from the front and left sides of a two-story apartment building.

No injuries were reported in the blaze, but the fire initiated a two-alarm response, meaning that crews had to use escalated protocols to extinguish the fire, which they eventually did.

WGCL-TV CBS 46 Atlanta

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Armed with a high-tech drone equipped with infrared sensors, the four-person aerial team is pinpointing hotspots that are invisible to the naked eye but pose a significant threat to local residences.

“Even when we’re not seeing flare-ups, we know that the heat is going deep into these organic soils,” said Karen Miranda, Public Information Officer for the Southern Area Complex Incident Management Team.

According to officials, the fire often retreats below the surface, smoldering in the nutrient-rich ground long after the visible flames have been suppressed. The infrared detector serves as a thermal eye, slicing through the smoke and soil to identify these subterranean threats.

The impact of the technology was felt immediately last week. On Thursday alone, the drone detected over 40 distinct hotspots. 

WJAX-TV CBS 47 Jacksonville

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