ROBESON COUNTY, NC (WBTW) – It took more than 30 firefighters and nearly two hours to put out the fire that destroyed Sandy Grove Missionary Baptist Church near Maxton Thursday morning.

Queheel Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Terry Gales says the call came in around 6:45 a.m. that the church, located at 73 Deangelo Road, was on fire. Firefighters say the church was completely engulfed in flames when they arrived.

Scotland County fire crews were called into help and it took more than an hour and a half for firefighters to extinguish the blaze. Foam was used to help smother the flames.

North Carolina’s State Bureau of Investigation and ATF agents accompanied the fire marshal during the investigation. Officials say a cause of the fire has not been determined.

Assistant Fire Chief with Queheel Fire Department, Terry Gales, said the fire at Sandy Grove Missionary Baptist Church near Maxton on Deangelo Road, was called in at 6:45 a.m.
 
Gales said 30-55 firefighters were on scene Thursday morning, and it took an hour and a half to put the fire out.
 
Many community members showed up at the church Thursday afternoon, and said they were in shock.
 
Sallie McLean told News13 Sandy Grove Missionary Baptist Church was her home church.
 
“My great-great-great-great grandfather had a lot to do with the upbringing of this church,” McLean said. “It’s pretty heartbreaking it’s gone. It’s like an old family friend is gone.”
 
Fire officials said the church was a total loss.
 
“From the looks of things nothing was saved, nothing,” said McLean looking at the rubble. “I can’t even imagine not being able to clear all that debris off, and go on into church.”
 
Head Deacon of the church, Frankie Hall, said he was in disbelief when he got the call about the fire.
 
“We smelt something last night during bible study,” he said. “But we didn’t pay much attention so we kept the breaker off, and we were going to fix it today, but we got the call it was already on fire.”
 

The church, which was built in 1886 and remodeled in 1947, was completely destroyed. No injuries were reported.