Historic Hart County Church Fire

8/26/2020 (Permalink)

Sardis Baptist Church has a beautiful campus just north of Hartwell near the dam.

SERVPRO of Tri-County recently completed a fire and smoke damage cleanup for Sardis Baptist Church in Hart County just north of Hartwell, Georgia. The campus overlooks beautiful Lake Hartwell near the Big Oaks State Park.

This church family has been serving the local community since the late 1800s. Members and visitors hail from neighboring Elbert, Franklin, and Anderson counties as well. The historic church is in its fifth sanctuary building.

Just a few days before Christmas, a candle reignited after evening service. Thankfully, a family camping nearby at Watsadler State Park had stopped in the church parking lot.They noticed the flickering fire through the stained-glass window and called 911.

Volunteer firefighters from Hart County Station 1 and the Bio Volunteer Fire station responded quickly and saved the sanctuary from total loss.

While structural damage was contained to the one window and adjoining wall, smoke and odor had heavily impacted the entire sanctuary. SERVPRO of Tri-County was chosen to remove the soot and odor.  

Church sanctuaries present unique challenges when cleaning and restoring. 25 foot high ceilings, recessed light, speakers, projectors and chandeliers were difficult to access. Additionally, over 100 pews had to be detached, cleaned, deodorized, and reset. Every wall and surface had to be cleaned and deodorized by hand.

The entire project took several weeks but in February, the congregation was able to return to its normal schedule of worship and its mission to serve the community.