CUMMING -- A fire weather alert was issued throughout Georgia on Monday, as dry, windy conditions that fanned several brush fires the day before were expected to continue.

Fire officials were warning property owners to clear dry brush and check smoke detectors after a series of brush fires broke out around the state Sunday, including one that destroyed several homes in Forsyth County.

More than 20 homes were either destroyed or damaged when a blaze broke out in the Manchester Park subdivision in Cumming Sunday night.

"We lost 5 structures and had 17 damaged and we had seven firefighters taken to the hospital with dehydration and absolute exhaustion," said Forsyth County Fire Chief Danny Bowman.

The massive blaze gutted much of the neighborhood. Residents told authorities the fire started when a resident was cooking on an outdoor barbecue grill when the fire spread to the porch before growing in intensity.

Forsyth officials are investigating whether firefighters went to the wrong address after receiving the call and why hydrants in the neighborhood did not work properly while rescue workers battled the blaze.

Meanwhile, in DeKalb County, three separate fires erupted within 10 minutes of each other, including two brush fires that started on both sides of the MARTA tracks at the Kensington Station in east DeKalb.

The three simultaneous blazes left firefighters scrambling to catch up.

"We were practically stretched to the limit," DeKalb Fire Capt. Eric Jackson said. "It's dry. It's windy. It's fair to say that was a contributing factor."

In Gwinnett County, fire crews fought a small brush fire on U.S. 78, and Newton County fire officials battled another one for four hours before bringing it under control. No property damage was reported in either case.

Dry conditions also extended into south Georgia with a Sunday afternoon fire in Liberty County. High winds quickly drove flames into neighboring Bryan County. About 50 residents were temporarily evacuated, as the blaze burned 400 acres, but there were no reports of injuries or damaged buildings.

Jennifer Brinson, spokeswoman for the Georgia Forestry Commission, said fire officials believe it was started when someone tried to burn debris without a permit and lost control of the fire.

In McIntosh County, two fires erupted within a few miles of each other along Interstate 95 and burned more than 2,000 acres combined. Firefighters worked through the night to contain the blazes and had them under control by 10 a.m. Monday, Brinson said. Those fires still are under investigation.

Severe Weather Team 2 meteorologist Arch Kennedy said the danger for brush fires continues because of a dearth of moisture in the air. The metro area's lack of rain has prompted authorities to issue a fire weather alert for most of North and Middle Georgia until Monday afternoon.

Channel 2 Action News reporter Tom Jones contributed to this report.

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Tyler Sieswerda reports