Augusta, GA
Augusta firefighter injured while battling fierce house blaze
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta firefighter sustained minor injuries while battling a fierce home fire off of Peach Orchard Road, we learned Friday.
Crews say they responded to a structure fire on Lively Street at 5:37 a.m. on Thursday.
Firefighters say they arrived to find the structure in flames, and immediately began extinguishing the fire.
Unfortunately, one firefighter sustained a minor injury while battling the fire, according to fire officials.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation, officials say.
Last week, two people in their eighties died in a home fire on Etterlee Road.
The victims, Carole and Henry Logan, both 80, were pronounced dead on the scene, according to Richmond County Coroner Mark Bowen.
One person was able to escape the fire and recount the details to officials.
ELSEWHERE
Nonfatal fires: Buildings damaged in Ga., S.C. blazes
- A fire engulfed a home on Highway 220 East in Lincoln County on Dec. 2. Martin’s Crossroads Fire Chief Vinny Vizari said no other buildings were endangered by the fire, which was reported at 5 a.m. The cause is undetermined.
- A house was seriously damaged in a fire on Bayne Street in Orangeburg on Nov. 30. It took fire crews several hours to get it under control, but no one was injured.
- In Georgia, First Pentecostal Church of Buford was destroyed by a fire on Thanksgiving. “There’s a lot of sadness, but there’s no fear in what’s to come,” Paster Jordan Copeland said. “God is going to take care of our church.”
A dangerous time of year
This time of year, we see a lot of home fires. So many that it’s consistently earned Augusta a top spot in the country for the most home fires.
The American Red Cross says home heating is one of the leading causes of home fires and injury in the country.
According to FEMA one of every seven house fires will involve some sort of heating equipment.
“A lot of it’s home heating related. According to the National Fire Protection Association, it’s the second leading cause of residential fires in the country,” said Daniel Smith, North Augusta Public Safety sergeant.
Some of our local fire departments say the number of house fires they respond to increases between December and February.
“Usually when the first cold snap happens, people just start firing up the heaters and start to find issues or problems,” said Danny Kuhlmann, rescue and operation chief at Columbia County Fire.
As it gets colder, many people try to warm up by using alternative sources.
“The popular resort is space heaters,” said Smith. “There’s a safe way to use the space heater, and that’s by leaving it on a level surface, plugging it directly into a grounded outlet, not using extension cords and keeping it at least three feet away from any kind of combustible.”
However, it’s not just space heaters that can be dangerous.
“Before you use your fireplace, make sure that you have it inspected,” said Smith. “Make sure that the chimney is clear, nothing obstructing it because you’re going to be sending embers up into the chimney. Chimney fires are very common.”
With Christmas right around the corner, officials are also asking you to stay safe during the holidays.
“Decorations lights. Make sure there’s no phrase in the wires,” said Smith. “Make sure if you have a live Christmas tree it stays watered. Christmas trees, when they dry out, they burn extremely fast, and when you wrap lights around it, if there’s an electrical short in those lights, it’ll be on fire in no time.”
Officials say the risk of falling victim to a fire is highest when you’re asleep.
“We’ve had several fire deaths in the CSRA in the past weeks or so,” said Kuhlmann. “Smoke detectors are the cheapest insurance policy you can buy.”
The firefighters we spoke with recommend getting your chimney inspected once a year to make sure there isn’t a debris build-up in there because that can catch fire.
If you are in need of smoke detectors the American Red Cross will install them for you at no cost. You can call 1-800-red cross.
If you’re going to use a space heater, keep these tips in mind:
- Buy a model that shuts off if the space heater falls over.
- Don’t use an extension cord with your space heater.
- Keep the space heater far away from flammables like paper, bedding, curtains and rugs.
- Keep children and pets away from space heaters.
- Never leave your space heater unattended.
A fire should never be left burning unattended, and all furnaces, chimneys and stoves should be inspected yearly, especially in older homes that could have more wear and tear.
Similarly, make sure to check or replace the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Here are some safe ways to make sure your house stays warm:
- Avoid opening doors or windows.
- Close off rooms you aren’t using.
- Stuff towels or rags in door cracks.
- Cover your windows with drapes or blankets overnight.
Just because ovens are warm doesn’t mean they should be used to heat your home. Leaving a gas oven on for a long time can cause a carbon monoxide buildup, which can be deadly. Even electric ovens can overheat or malfunction, and they use a lot of electricity, increasing your bills.
To learn more about home heating safety, click here or here.
Copyright 2024 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Borovilos ties for 11th at Augusta National Women’s Amateur
AUGUSTA, Ga. (KBTX) – AUGUSTA, Ga. (KBTX) – Texas A&M golfer Vanessa Borovilos finished tied for 11th after three rounds at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
The sophomore shot even par on the final day of competition, recording five birdies. She finished the event at 5-under 211.
Borovilos is the 24th-ranked amateur in the world and the third Aggie golfer to place in the top 15 at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur. She joins Cayetana Fernández García-Poggio and Jennie Park.
Texas A&M women’s golf hosts The “Mo” Morial at Traditions Club April 4-6.
Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.
Augusta, GA
Tiger Woods still looms over Masters in latest chapter of complicated Augusta relationship
AUGUSTA, Ga. — One of the most intriguing and imposing storylines to the 2026 Masters is a player who will not even be in Augusta this week.
Tiger Woods, a five-time winner of the green jacket, will loom heavily over this Masters week — even though he’s out of the country undergoing a comprehensive rehab program to help him with a prescription drug addiction.
This stems from his March 27 car crash near his home in Jupiter Beach, Fla., where he flipped his Range Rover after clipping the back of a flatbed truck while driving more than 30 mph above the speed limit.
Woods, thankfully was unhurt, but he was arrested for suspicion of DUI and put in jail for eight hours. Four days later, he announced on his X account that he was going to step away from golf and enter rehab.
Augusta, GA
A dream come true at Augusta National Women’s Amateur
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) — Thirty-two women will compete Saturday for the coveted title of Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion, but Friday was a closed practice round where everyone got to play.
The closed practice meant even cameras were not allowed, although Augusta National Golf Club did provide pictures of the day.
For some, Friday was the experience of a lifetime.
But for others, it was all about preparation.
Augusta National is a course that rewards experience. Asterisk Talley, who leads by one heading into Saturday, is hoping the third time’s the charm.
She was the only player to card two bogey-free rounds at Champions Retreat to put her in the top spot.
Her best finish was last year when she was the runner-up.
Friday was all about building on the knowledge she already has.

“I’ve just been hitting the ball pretty well all week. I mean, I’ve hit a lot of fairways and only missed a couple of greens yesterday but was able to get the ball up and down,” Talley said. “My putting has been pretty good. So I think everything is kind of just clicking this week. I think it’s all connecting, and that’s the only reason I shot two bogey-free rounds.”
The 17-year-old from California has committed to Stanford and sits at 11 under.

If she wins, she’ll be the first American since Rose Zhang’s victory in 2023.
On Thursday, she led by one shot Stanford sophomore Meja Örtengren of Sweden, the No. 5 player in women’s amateur golf.
Avery Weed of Mississippi State (70) and Stanford sophomore Andrea Revuelta of Spain (72) were five shots behind in a tie for fourth. Revuelta is the No. 3 player in the women’s amateur ranking.
PHOTO GALLERY:
Talley is not alone at the top of the leaderboard.
Örtengren of Sweden and Maria Jose Marin of Colombia both sit one shot back at 10 under.
Marin is the reigning NCAA champion, and Örtengren is the fifth-ranked amateur in the world.
“I think we’re very fortunate to have such a big group of great players right now. We are all playing very good golf, but we are also very close off the golf course,” Örtengren said. “So we spend a lot of time with each other really, like, picking each other’s brains, trying to find some piece of advice from every single one of us.”

Marin said representing Colombia and Latin America is a great pride and honor.
“I’ve been doing it since I’m pretty little, since I’ve been, well, 9 years old in different world championships and everything,” Marin said. “It just means, as I said, great pride to put the colors up in the leaderboard and to know that I have their full support.”

Among those who missed the cut were U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Megha Ganne, one of five Stanford players in the field this week. She opened with a 77 and never got on track in the second round with a 74.
Elia Galitsky of Thailand, the 19-year-old who has finished in the top 10 her previous two appearances in the ANWA, birdied three straight holes only to make par on her par-5 closing hole for a 70 to miss the cut by one shot.
Örtengren has reached the final round two of the last four years. She closed with a 76 a year ago at Augusta National to tie for 14th.

“I think I’ve learned that you need to have a lot of patience out there and be disciplined with your approaches,” the Swede said. “It can get away from you quite easily if you hit bad shots into the greens, but also you can get a lot of opportunities if you hit the right spots at Augusta. So I think that will be the most important thing, staying disciplined from the fairway and also knowing where the right and bad spots are.”
Marin, the NCAA champion last year, made birdie on all four par 5s at Champions Retreat to leave her in prime position to add what already has become the most prestigious amateur event in women’s golf.
Marin reached the final round each of her first two years, and was devastated to miss the cut a year ago. Now she’s back to the home of the Masters with a chance to win.
“It means the world to me, just the fact of playing Augusta National,” Marin said. “It’s amazing. It’s incredible, and it’s just an opportunity that we all get thanks to this amazing tournament. Yeah, just going to enjoy it a lot, enjoy the walk with my family, with my friends, and all of the people that are watching me back in Colombia.”
The final round gets started early Saturday. Here are the pairings and start times:
Second round results and statistics
- The players with later tee times Thursday really slowed down on their last nine holes. That is the Nicklaus Bluff part of the course, which is most known as the hardest part of Champions Retreat. Ten out of Thursday’s top 13 bogeyed on the second nine. – half of them multiple times. Holes 12, 15 and 16 were the most troublesome out there Thursday.
- Asterisk Talley has set the championship record for consecutive holes without a bogey (or worse) at 36, eclipsing the mark set by Carla Bernat Escuder last year (33). Her current streak in this championship, dating back to the 2025 edition, is 48 consecutive bogey-free holes.
- Talley is the first player in the history of the championship to record four consecutive rounds in the 60s.
- Talley, Örtengren and Marin join Rose Zhang (2023) as the only four players in championship history to reach double-digits under par through the first two rounds.
- Örtengren (four birdies, one eagle and one bogey) matched Talley and Korea’s Yunseo Yang for the round of the day (67). The 21-year-old from Linköping, Sweden has two top-15 finishes and two missed cuts in four previous appearances in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
- Marin, the first-round co-leader, birdied the last to sit one stroke back. The junior at Arkansas has finished T-14, T-30 and MC over the past three years, respectively.
- The top-three players on the leader board are all top 10 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings: Talley (No. 9), Örtengren (No. 5) and Marin (No. 6). The two players tied for fourth are No. 3 (Andrea Revuelta) and No. 39 (Avery Weed).
- The 36-hole cut to the top 30 and ties was made at one-under 143 with 32 players advancing to the final round. Four players made the cut on the number: Macy Pate, Catherine Park, Patience Rhodes and Yurina Hiroyoshi.
- The final round at Augusta National Golf Club will air on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. ET on NBC.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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