An enormous fire gutted a historic Pentecostal church in Buford on Thanksgiving night.
For four hours, Gwinnett County firefighters battled the massive flames that were shooting through the roof of the First Pentecostal Church of Buford on West Moreno Street. It led to the structural collapse of a portion of the building.
Fortunately, no injuries were reported, according to fire officials.
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Fire crews arrived shortly after 10 p.m. and reported smoke coming from a vent hole at the top of the sanctuary of the three-story church, fire department spokesperson Captain Ryan McGiboney said. As they searched for the source of the smoke, they encountered a fire in the attic section above the sanctuary.
“The fire rapidly intensified,” McGiboney told reporters at the scene Thursday. “Structural integrity became a major concern.”
Recognizing the dangerous conditions, firefighters exited the structure and began an external attack as portions of the church began to collapse, McGiboney said Friday. Additional crews were also requested to help protect surrounding structures.
Finally, the fire was under control by 2:30 a.m., he said.
A member of the church’s leadership told firefighters that two young men, also church members, had seen the smoke pouring out of the building and had tried to put out the flames with fire extinguishers, officials said. The pair got out safely and called 911.
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
Credit: Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services
James Hall, a 20-year member of the congregation, told Channel 2 Action News that they will start the process of relocating on Friday.
“We have a meeting, some of the men, (to) figure out what we’re going to do,” he said. “(We’ll) start putting it together and find a place, and we’ll move on.”
Church members had just had a Thanksgiving feast around 1 p.m.
Fire investigators said that they could not rule out an electrical source as the cause of the fire and did not suspect criminal activity.
The church, built in 1932, was previously the First Baptist Church of Buford, according to property records.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
About the Author
