Investigators seek clues in charred rubble of a black church in Winston-Salem
A small African American church in Winston-Salem was destroyed by fire early Monday. There were no injuries, and investigators don’t yet know the cause.
Winston-Salem Fire Chief William “Trey” Mayo said the blaze at New Gospel Tabernacle Holiness Church on Laura Wall Boulevard was reported just before 3 a.m. Monday. About 40 firefighters and supervisors responded, Mayo said.
Services were held in the church Sunday night, but it did not appear that anyone was in the building when the fire started, Mayo said. The blaze collapsed the roof and the floor of the church, he said, and one wall of the building fell against a neighboring home. The impact caused some damage to the home, he said, but firefighters were able to keep the fire from spreading.
Mayo said church fires are relatively uncommon. About 80 percent of all U.S. structure-fire calls are for residential buildings, he said.
“I would not describe us as having a church fire problem" in Winston-Salem, Mayo said. “But this is not the first time we have had a fire in a church.”
Mayo said the building appeared to be a total loss. Because of the extent of the damage, he said, it may not be possible for investigators to determine the cause. City officials will lead the investigation, he said.
The Winston-Salem Journal reported that the pastor of the church, Wallice Hairston, who lives in Hickory, arrived at about 7 a.m. Hairston told the Journal that the church, which has about 50 active members, has been making repairs to the roof of the building and to the pews.
The Journal said that only the front door of the church remained standing after the fire, along with a charred cross that stood in front of the building.
“We’re devastated,” he told the paper. “But we will work to rebuild. You can’t stop the church. Keep us in your prayers.”
This story was originally published April 30, 2018 at 3:23 PM with the headline "Investigators seek clues in charred rubble of a black church in Winston-Salem."