Fire destroys church being renovated

Investigators believe it was an electrical fire that destroyed a church within a mile of Walton-Gwinnett county line, a battalion chief said Sunday afternoon.

Firefighters were called to the Holy Family Knanaya Catholic Church on Rosebud Road around 3:20 a.m. and arrived to find the sanctuary fully involved with flames through the roof, Battalion Chief Craig League with the Walton County fire department told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

“It’s been a church for about 10 years now, but they were actually doing renovations of the church sanctuary,” League said Sunday afternoon.

Work continued at the church late Saturday, just a few hours before a neighbor spotted flames, League said.

State and local arson investigators were called to the church, but the cause was determined to be electrical, League said.

No one was at the church at the time of the fire, and no injuries were reported. The building is believed to be a total loss.

About the Author

Alexis Stevens

Alexis Stevens is a member of the Crime and Public Safety team.

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