Suspect in custody after series of overnight fires across DeKalb County neighborhood, officials say

A suspect is in custody in connection with a series of grass fires that officials believe were intentionally set in DeKalb County overnight.

DeKalb County Fire Rescue says they first received a call just before 8:30 p.m. on Sunday with reports of a grass fire around Memorial College Avenue.

While crews were able to quickly extinguish that small grass fire, they say they had to respond to more than 11 other fires in the same area throughout the night and into the early morning.

In each case, officials say the fires only spread to vegetation, and no structures were damaged. No injuries were also reported in connection with the fires.

Larry Cherry, a resident of a nearby apartment complex, said he was making a cup of coffee when he looked outside and saw the flames.

"All the sudden, I see the whole backyard is on fire, and I hear fire trucks," Cherry said.

He said that the grass in the area had been recently cut, which he believed stopped the fire from reaching his home.

"It was really blazed up out there because there's a lot of honeysuckle and kudzu out there," he said, calling it "very concerning."

On Monday morning, authorities say they had apprehended a suspect in connection with the fires. Investigators have not shared any identifying details about the suspect or potential charges.

The overnight fires come at a time when all of DeKalb County is under extreme drought conditions. Despite the rain over the weekend, the dry conditions have left much of the county and the rest of the state under an amplified threat of fire risk.