Athens-Clarke County Fire Department

10/15/2026

Last week members from various stations got an opportunity to participate in a tree rescue training at Station 6.

A tree rescue is a rare and difficult situation that our firefighters and tech rescue team might find themselves in.

After a recent tree rescue call involving our firefighters rescuing a tree trimmer in distress, members decided to get some additional training and knowledge.

10/12/2026

*LODD*

Our hearts go out to the Durham Fire Department as they mourn the loss of one of their firefighters in the line of duty.

Andrew Brokes died searching for victims in a structure fire on October 8th in Durham, NC. His courage, and dedication to serving the people of Durham will not be forgotten.

2 other firefighters were injured in the fire, but have since been released from the hospital, and expected to make a full recovery.

The procession from Raleigh to his hometown in Burlington, NC is taking place today.

Please keep the Brooke’s family, and fellow firefighters in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.

10/10/2026

Stay indoors and off the roads tonight and tomorrow! With predicted sustained winds of 30-40 MPH and even stronger gusts possible, debris can be a serious concern.

Make sure your phone can receive emergency alerts and you have multiple ways of receiving alerts (local news, weather radio, multiple weather apps, etc).

10/09/2026

Important information to bookmark as we move into the weekend with a chance of significant rain and wind impacts from Hurricane Isaias 🚨 ⚠️

Use this graphic as a reference for who to call when reporting street flooding, road blockages, downed trees and power lines, or other hazards here in Athens-Clarke County.

10/09/2026

Avoid flood prone areas and unnecessary travel tomorrow and Sunday!

10/09/2026

Tomorrow is going to get breezy! 🍃 Take time today to secure all outdoor items, trim back loose or low branches, and move your vehicle(s) away from trees. Prepare for the possibility of power loss - 🔌 charge devices, test your generator if you have one, and get your favorite non perishable snacks ready.

📲 REMEMBER- if you’ve ever turned off emergency alerts on your cell phone, turn them back on so you can receive tornado warnings. Set up a weather radio in your home in the event cell towers are affected by the winds.

**OUTDATED - See latest post for updates**

🌀 Thursday PM Update: Here is the latest on the wind threat with Hurricane Isaias. We are expecting long-duration strong winds beginning as early as around 11 PM Friday, likely lasting through early Sunday morning. Downed trees due to the strong winds and wet soils, as well as power outages are concerns.

10/08/2026

Hurricane Isaias is intensifying and is expected to make landfall along the U.S. Gulf Coast late Friday or early Saturday.

Isaias is now a Category 2 with max sustained winds of 100 mph.

Athens-Clarke County is in a high wind watch, a flood watch, and a tropical weather statement is in effect.

10/08/2026

Fire Prevention Week 2026 🔥

Theme: “Charge Into Fire Safety”

- In 2020 – 2024 local fire departments responded to an estimated annual average 46,652 home structure fires where either an electrical failure, lithium-ion involvement, or electrical malfunction was reported as a factor contributing to ignition.

-Home electrical fires accounted for approximately 13% of all home structure fires and 18% of all home structure fires deaths each year. The direct property damage caused by these fires accounted for approximately 15% of all home structure fires. Additionally, electrical fires caused an estimated 527 civilian deaths, 1,580 injuries, and 2.4 billion in property damage (estimated average each year during 2020-2024)

What can we do?

Safety Tips:
-Don’t use a worn down, damaged or cheap charger
-Once your device is fully charged, unplug it.
-Charge all Lithium-Ion batteries (and Li-ion devices) outside
-Don’t charge your phone while it’s covered by something
-Have all electrical work done by a qualified electrician
-Major appliances should be plugged directly in a wall receptacle outlet (extension cords should not be used)

Call your landlord, a qualified electrician or the fire department if you have:
-Frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers.
-A tingling feeling when you touch an electrical appliance.
-Discolored or warm wall outlets.
-A burning or rubbery smell coming from an appliance.
-Flickering or dimming lights.
-Sparks from an outlet.

electricalfiresafety

10/08/2026

🔥 Fire Prevention Week 2026 🔥

Theme: “Charge Into Fire Safety”

- In 2020 – 2024 local fire departments responded to an estimated annual average 46,652 home structure fires where either an electrical failure, lithium-ion involvement, or electrical malfunction was reported as a factor contributing to ignition.

-Home electrical fires accounted for approximately 13% of all home structure fires and 18% of all home structure fires deaths each year. The direct property damage caused by these fires accounted for approximately 15% of all home structure fires. Additionally, electrical fires caused an estimated 527 civilian deaths, 1,580 injuries, and 2.4 billion in property damage (estimated average each year during 2020-2024)

What can we do?

Safety Tips:
-Don’t use a worn down, damaged or cheap charger
-Once your device is fully charged, unplug it.
-Charge all Lithium-Ion batteries (and Li-ion devices) outside
-Don’t charge your phone while it’s covered by something
-Have all electrical work done by a qualified electrician
-Major appliances should be plugged directly in a wall receptacle outlet (extension cords should not be used)

Call your landlord, a qualified electrician or the fire department if you have:
-Frequent problems with blowing fuses or tripping circuit breakers.
-A tingling feeling when you touch an electrical appliance.
-Discolored or warm wall outlets.
-A burning or rubbery smell coming from an appliance.
-Flickering or dimming lights.
-Sparks from an outlet.

electricalfiresafety

10/08/2026

🌀Hurricane Isaías is approaching landfall!

A common misconception about hurricane predictions is “the cone is not coming towards us so we’re good!” But that is NOT true. The cone doesn’t show the size and strength of the storm, or account for how quickly storms can shift.

Even though we’re not in the cone, Athens is expected to see heavy localized flooding and very gusty winds. 🌧️
We’ll see the impacts of Isaías arrive between 3am and 7am Saturday.

**OUTDATED - See latest post for updates**

🌀10/8 8AM Update - Hurricane Isaías

⚠️ Concern continues to increase for potential impacts from Isaías across North & Central GA from Friday night through Sunday AM, including:
💨 Long duration of gusty winds
🌧️ Heavy rain / localized flooding
🌪️ Tornadoes

Now is the time to review your preparedness plans and stay informed as the forecast evolves.