Fire During Service Turns Church to Rubble in Minutes

A fast-spreading fire at a church in Georgia forced the occupants to evacuate as the building was quickly destroyed.

The Douglas Christian Fellowship Church, located on the 2700 block of East Baker Highway, Douglas, quickly went up in flames and turned the building to rubble on Wednesday night. Officials said the fire took less than 10 minutes to destroy the building.

The fire started around 7:15 p.m. during service. No injuries have been reported and everyone was able to successfully evacuate.

Rangers from a State Forestry Commission office across the street from the church saw the fire and alerted everyone inside to evacuate, according to a Fox 5 report.

Multiple volunteers and several agencies attempted to put out the fire and crews remained on the scene throughout the night. Officials have launched an investigation into what caused the fire. Early reports suggested a propane tank at the church may have exploded.

Video footage of the intense blaze has been posted on Youtube by CBS46 Atlanta and shows the scale of the fire at the church.

People can be seen standing in a car park as the flames quickly spread to other parts of the premises. Massive clouds of smoke are also seen rising up throughout the video.

Newsweek has contacted the Douglas Fire Department and Douglas Christian Fellowship Church for comment.

Newsweek also reported on another fire that occurred in Georgia, this time in Monroe County.

Teenager Candace Walton admitted on Wednesday to killing her mother and brother in a fire she started. The bodies of the deceased were identified as Gerald Walton and Tasha Vandiver.

Candace Walton pleaded guilty to all counts in her case which included charges of malice murder, felony murder, theft by taking, and first-degree arson.

She was sentenced to life imprisonment with a possibility of parole for the murder charges and a 10-year sentence for the arson charge.

Monroe County District Attorney Jonathan Adams said that Candace Walton was initially believed to be the female victim of the fire as her body was found inside her bedroom and her mother's car was gone.

Adams said police believed Vandiver was attempting to save her daughter from the fire.

Walton was found driving her mother's vehicle, a 2007 Chevrolet Malibu, the same day as the fire, February 27, 2020. She was found near Paducah, Kentucky.

The Monroe County Sheriff's office had put out a missing person alert for Vandiver that included the car's description and license plate number. They also said they believed Candace Walton was on her way to Oregon to live with her boyfriend, Kaleo Pangelinan.

She met him while he was at school in Walton in Monroe County.