Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport held a full-scale emergency disaster drill Wednesday evening, replicating an airplane on fire and treatment of nearly 100 “victims” who were actually volunteers.

The airport is required by the Federal Aviation Administration to hold at least one full-scale drill every three years. The drill, which Hartsfield-Jackson calls “Big Bird,” took place at the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department training facility on Lake Mirror Road near the airport.

Those who volunteered to be victims had makeup to simulate injuries. Airport personnel and others from nearby jurisdictions extinguished the fire and practiced treating the "victims."

About the Author

Keep Reading

Allen Wilson, right, stands with an attendee after they wrote on crosses for victims during a vigil Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025, in Louisville, Ky., after a UPS plane crashed at Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport. (Darron Cummings/AP)

Credit: AP

Featured

Atlanta firefighters, crash on Piedmont Avenue at Monroe Drive

Credit: Ben Hendren