Church fire sparks concerns over vacant buildings in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WRBL) — For the second time in less than a year, a fire has struck the 103-year-old 24th Street Missionary Baptist Church.

The blaze Wednesday night picked up where the November 4, 2024 fire left off. Since the fire last November, the congregation has been meeting elsewhere, while the church sits vacant and that’s a concern.

“I knew that there was a homeless population around and I knew that they had been in the church back and forth since the first fire in November 2024,” said Evangelist Carla Flournoy, a church member.

The church issued a statement Thursday morning saying:

“Since our move, the vacant building has unfortunately become a target for repeated vandalism and unauthorized occupation. Despite efforts to secure the premises, individuals have entered the property and, in some cases, taken up residence inside.”

Daniel Macon, the Deputy Chief of Operations for Columbus Fire and EMS, told WRBL News 3 that vagrants in vacant buildings is also a concern for his department.

“Usually those structures do not have power, so they try to create their own power by tapping into somewhere in the grid, using generators inside, or using lanterns or fires,” Macon explains.

“Especially those that are marked for demolition. we do have a working relationship with codes and enforcement that they can be moved up into the demotion schedule,” Macon said.

Making it safer for the community and firefighters.

Macon says vacant buildings may not be structurally sound which potential puts the community and firefighters at risk.

He asks that the public report vacant buildings to Code Enforcement at (706) 225-4126 and Columbus Fire and EMS at 706-225-3500.