AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta is offering day and night warming shelters to provide residents with a safe and warm environment as temperatures will get below freezing on Friday.

With temperatures expected to drop into the low 20s on Friday, the city is stepping up to help those stay warm.

Friday morning will be below freezing in the upper 20s and low 30s. The highs will be in the upper 50s wind will be out of the northeast between 5-10 mph.

Augusta will have daytime centers, however, free bus service is not provided to those sites. The locations include:

• Carrie J. Mays Center: 1014 11th Ave., Augusta, 706-821-2827, 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Bernie Ward Center: 1941 Lumpkin Road, Augusta, 706-790-0588, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• Blythe Center: 3129 Highway 88, Blythe, 706-592-4988, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Henry H. Brigham Center: 2463 Golden Camp Road, 706-771-2654, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• May Park: 622 Fourth St., 706-724-0504, 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
• McBean Center: 1155 Hephzibah-McBean Road, 706-560-2628, 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• Sand Hills Center: 2540 Wheeler Road, 706-842-1912, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• W.T. Johnson Center: 1606 Hunter St., 706-821-2866, 9 a.m. to noon
• Warren Road Center: 300 Warren Road, 706-860-2833, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Diamond Lakes Regional Park, 4335 Windsor Spring Road, 706-826-1370, 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The city will offer free bus rides to overnight warming centers.

Augusta Transit pick-up locations:

• Broad Street Transfer Facility, 1546 Broad St.
• May Park Community Center, 622 Fourth St.

Drop-off locations:

• Augusta Rescue Mission, 526 Walker St. (Route 3 Gold Line/East Augusta)
• Garden City Rescue Mission, 828 Fenwick St. (Route 6 Brown Line/Gordon Highway)
• Salvation Army Center of Hope, 1384 Greene St. (Route 3 Gold Line/East Augusta)

The bus service will run continuously until 8 p.m. People unable to get to the pickup locations and in need of a ride should call 706-821-1719 before 8 p.m.

The city has not opened additional night shelters unless the partner shelters reach full capacity. If this occurs, the partners will notify officials before taking further action.

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Those without a place to call home are needing somewhere to stay warm.

“No one wakes up and says ‘I’m going to be homeless today,’” said Janelys Villalta, Salvation Army marketing and public relations manager.

“We care about them,” said Patrick Feitsel, Garden City Rescue Mission executive director. “We want to see their lives change around or where they don’t have to do this anymore.”

Feitsel says it really is a matter of life or death.

During times like these, they also open their doors during the day.

“Getting enough money for rent, for an apartment is not as easy as it used to be,” said Feitsel. “So people are finding themselves on the streets, where they would have never two years ago thought they might have been in this situation and the storm has displaced people on top of it”

To stay at one of these shelters you have to have clearance and ID.

People in need of a background check to stay at an overnight shelter can go to the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office before 5 p.m. to get documentation from the records bureau. If it’s after 5 or if they’re unable to go to the records bureau, they can call 706-821-1080 and a deputy will come to them.

During this time of year, these shelters encourage you to donate items like winter clothing and blankets to help keep people warm.

Next week, the temperatures will rise again to the mid-60s.

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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.

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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Crews are continuing to clear away tons of debris from the Augusta Canal.

The towpath is still closed to the frustration of many, but that just goes to show you how much damage the storm caused.

It could be May at the earliest before the towpath opens.

About a hundred trees fell into the canal. In some areas, workers are dealing with cracked embankments, which is a safety issue for someone walking beyond these gates.

It’s a place for peace and beauty.

“I always call it one of Augusta’s little gems,” said Jedidiah Ballad, who visits the canal.

John Purvis, who also visits the canal, said: “It’s one of the most scenic places in Augusta. To me, it’s on the river here.”

The canal took a beating from Hurricane Helene.

“For me, it was no problem. It’s like basically the same scene. There are fewer trees down there now, but it’s not a big deal,” said Purvis.

And that’s why a stretch of the canal is closed.

“We’re going to be rolling heavy machinery in January up and down the entire four-and-a-half-mile stretch,” said Augusta Utilities Director Wes Byne.

That’s phase one. In the next phase, they’ll drain the canal.

“We don’t want to do it. We recognize that it’s heavy watering season and everybody’s getting ready for the tournament. And everybody’s obviously got to have grass in their yards. So, we know there’s going to be a high water demand, but we’ve got to do it in order to restore the embankment, the embankment and the banks along the canal,” said Byne.

Byne says all together the cost could total up to $10 million, but that’s what it takes to restore the canal back to its original purpose.

Purvis said: “Well, you know, I enjoy walking that way. I’ll be glad when they have it open again. But no, it’s not. It’s not causing me any stress. Still very, very beautiful, probably will be for another 500 years.”

Byne says they are working with FEMA to see what’s eligible for reimbursement.

He says only a portion of the estimated $10 million to fix the canal is reimbursable.

He did want to remind folks that the canal is open from downtown to Lake Olmstead to the pumping station.

He says the gates are up for a reason. It’s for your own safety.

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