(Buford, Ga., Nov. 28, 2024) - At 10:02 p.m., firefighters responded to a report of smoke coming from the roof of a church located at 15 East Moreno Street NE in Buford. 911 call takers had received multiple calls with similar reports.

Firefighters arrived at 10:06 p.m. and reported smoke coming from a vent hole at the top of the sanctuary of a large three-story church on a basement. Fire crews deployed a fire hose and entered the building to search for the source of the smoke. During the search, firefighters encountered fire in the attic section above the sanctuary. As crews began their fire attack, conditions rapidly changed including a sudden intensity of heat and fire growth. Recognizing the dangerous conditions, fire crews withdrew from interior operations and exited the structure. Immediately following the retreat, commanding officers conducted a personnel accountability report (PAR) to confirm the safety and location of all members operating on the scene as portions of the church began to collapse. Additional units were requested to support defensive fire attack operations and to protect surrounding structures. Firefighters used multiple tactics to apply water to the fire including ladder trucks and multiple fire hoses to bring the fire under control at 2:30 a.m. Other fire ground operations included searching the area for victims and establishing connections to multiple fire hydrants in the area. Bystanders confirmed that everyone had safely exited the structure to the fire crews. Utility workers disconnected the electrical service to the entire building. However, a structural collapse prevented firefighters from disconnecting the natural gas service. 

No injuries were reported at the scene. A member of the congregation’s leadership informed firefighters that two young male church members 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. Firefighters rotated through rehab before returning to service. 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.

EQUIPMENT AT THE SCENE INCLUDED: 5-Engines, 4-Ladder Trucks, 1-Squad, 2-Med Units, 3-Command Staff Vehicles, 1-Air & Light, 1-Fire Investigator, and 1-PIO.

Note: For pictures of this incident please visit our Facebook page @GwinnettFire.

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