Metro Atlanta
Metro Atlanta

Watch Cobb firefighters burn a house down on purpose

Cobb County firefighters lit up a house in the 1800 block of Macland Woods Drive in Powder Springs on Nov. 1, 2017 for a training exercise.
By Ben Brasch
Nov 3, 2017

For those with office jobs, training usually means a guy with a “fun” print on his shirt motioning toward a PowerPoint.

For Cobb County firefighters, it means burning down someone’s house.

"There is nothing like training to fight fire than training with real fire," according to a video of the exercise posted to the county's Facebook page.

Watch metro Atlanta firefighters train using Six Flags water rider

The homeowner donated the two-story house built in 1971, according to Cobb property records, and firefighters torched the home — with its three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

The house was located in the 1800 block of Macland Woods Drive in Powder Springs.

The department gave a heads-up to folks that the heavy smoke they saw billowing from the neighborhood was supposed to be there.

Like Cobb County News Now on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

About the Author

Ben Brasch is the reporter tasked with keeping Fulton County government accountable. The Florida native moved to Atlanta for a job with The AJC. If there's something important to you going on in Fulton, he wants to know about it. Help him better metro Atlanta by dropping a line, anonymously or otherwise.

Follow Ben Brasch on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

A father and daughter ride bikes along 10th Street in Atlanta on a frigid Dec. 15, 2025, days before winter's official start. While forecasters predict overall warmer weather this winter compared to the norm, we still can expect some properly cold days interspersed throughout the season. (Ben Hendren for the AJC)

Credit: Ben Hendren

Winter’s here, but warmer forecast means snow is far from certain

Despite recent frigid temperatures, this season might feel more like a typical late fall in the Peach State, making for slim chances to see any snow.

Woman dies after fall from Emory University building, police say

A woman fell to her death from an Emory University building shortly after midnight Friday, officials confirmed.

College football player killed in DeKalb fire remembered for kind spirit

Georgia Military College student and football player Izaiah Taylor, who had been a standout at South Gwinnett High School, was home for the holidays when the fire ignited.

The Latest

A motorcycle and school bus collided along a busy road in northwest Atlanta on Jan. 5, 2023. State stats provided by the Georgia Motorcycle Safety Program show that bikers who take a safety class are 95% less likely to be in a fatal crash. (John Spink/AJC)

Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC

Gridlock Guy: Getting a motorcycle for Christmas? Get some schooling.

Winter’s here, but warmer forecast means snow is far from certain

Woman dies after fall from Emory University building, police say

Featured

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney — pictured during a hearing Monday, Dec. 15, 2025 — has cleared the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election. (Arvin Temkar/AJC)

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Judge keeps alive subpoenas of Fulton County’s 2020 ballots

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney clears the way for Georgia's State Election Board to obtain Fulton ballots and other documents from the 2020 election.

Winter’s here, but warmer forecast means snow is far from certain

Despite recent frigid temperatures, this season might feel more like a typical late fall in the Peach State, making for slim chances to see any snow.

Philanthropy helped shape Atlanta. Here’s how that legacy endures.

Philanthropy helped shape Atlanta. And foundation-giving has had huge ripple effects not only in the metro area, but far beyond Georgia.