Historic Ga. church in downtown Buford gutted by Thanksgiving fire

BUFORD, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - A church in downtown Buford was destroyed by an overnight fire on Thanksgiving.

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services (GCFES) says firefighters responded to a report of smoke coming from the roof of First Pentecostal Church of Buford at 15 East Moreno Street NE around 10 p.m.

When fire crews arrived, they reported seeing smoke coming from a vent hole at the top of the sanctuary of the large three-story church.

Fire crews said they entered the building to search for the source of the smoke and found a fire in the attic above the sanctuary.

Gwinnett Fire says the fire grew quickly and forced firefighters out of the church. Immediately after that, portions of the church began to collapse.

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“As soon as we learned that this fire was beyond initial control, we made sure to get our people out for safety,” said Capt. Ryan McGiboney of Gwinnett Fire Emergency Services.

Officials say additional units were requested to help battle the blaze and protect surrounding structures.

Pastor Jordan Copeland was at the church on Friday afternoon.

“There’s a lot of sadness, but there’s no fear in what’s to come,” he said. “God is going to take care of our church.”

According to Copeland, a couple of local churches have already reached out to him and offered help ahead of Sunday service. Copeland said they will be posting updates to their social media pages.

Photos posted on social media by Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services show just how massive the fire became.

Many parishioners gathered at the church earlier in the day for a Thanksgiving meal. Many of them rushed back to the church when they heard the news of the fire.

“I saw that the church was on fire, and I scrolled back and I said my God, that’s my church! So, I just jumped in the car and drove here,” said Heidi Johnson, a church member.

Fire crews got the fire under control around 2:30 a.m.

GCFES says bystanders at the scene told firefighters that everyone had made it out safely. No injuries were reported.

“This is like losing a part of myself because, for me, this was not just a building. It was somewhere safe to be,” said Olivia Barnhart, a church member.

Gwinnett Fire says a member of the congregation’s leadership informed firefighters that two young male church had observed the smoke pouring out of the building and attempted to put out the fire with fire extinguishers without success. Those individuals escaped from the church and called 911.

Fire investigators on the scene said that though they could not rule out an electrical source as the cause of the fire, they did not suspect criminal activity.

The cause is still being investigated.