GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Fire crews worked late into Thanksgiving night to control a fire at First Pentecostal Church in downtown Buford.
Gwinnett County Fire officials said they responded to the church on E Moreno Street shortly after 10 p.m. following reports of smoke.
When firefighters arrived, they reported seeing smoke rising from the building, but it intensified as they worked to extinguish the blaze. By midnight, nearly 40 firefighters were at the scene, working to contain the fire and make it safe for re-entry.
Officials confirmed no injuries or entrapments. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Pastor Jordan Copeland, whose family has served the Buford community since 1993, shared how two young church members spotted smoke coming from the attic. They entered the building with fire extinguishers but quickly realized the fire was too large to control. Flames were visible on both sides of the attic before the pair safely exited the building.
“This is a pretty tough blow,” Pastor Copeland said.
The fire destroyed items of deep personal value to Copeland, including preaching notes and Bibles that belonged to his late father, who passed away last year.
“Pretty much everything that’s precious to me was in that building and not in my house,” he said.
Copeland also reflected on the church’s rich history, mentioning the front section of the building, constructed in the 1930s. He described watching the church’s steeple collapse as one of the most challenging moments of the night.
Despite the loss, Copeland emphasized gratitude and faith.
"Acts 27 tells Paul is on a ship while there's a storm at sea. They think they're going to go down and they've gone 14 days without a break. He gathers them on the deck of the ship while the storm is still going on, and they give thanks and pray to God," Copland said. "And so, obviously we couldn't stop the fire but that's what we did as a body just a few minutes ago we gathered and we prayed and we gave thanks because God really does know better than we know."
The church, which has grown steadily over the years, was in the process of expanding. Pastor Copeland expressed determination to continue worship despite the setback.
“We’re going to have church on Sunday somewhere,” he said. “Maybe it’ll be in a tent, but we’re going to thank God that nobody got hurt and everything is going to be okay.”
Crews remain at the scene as investigations continue.
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