Augusta, GA
2 buildings damaged in church fire along Essie McIntyre Boulevard
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Augusta Fire Department crews responded to a blaze Tuesday afternoon at a church at Essie McIntyre Boulevard and Meadow Street.
The fire at Fellowship Baptist Church didn’t injure anyone but damaged two buildings.
It broke out around 4 p.m. in a light-colored concrete-block storage building.
The back part of a building burned, with smoke pouring out a window, blackening the area around the opening.
“Upon arrival, those crews witness smoke and flames coming through the front door on the right side,” said Augusta Fire Chief Antonio Burden.
The heat from the flames melted and warped the gray vinyl siding of a nearby building that was being renovated to serve as a fellowship hall.
Pastor of the Fellowship Baptist Church of Augusta, Morris Jones, said: “I’m thankful. I’m grateful that it was contained and it didn’t do more damage. I was at work and got that, that notification and saw that fire and said, ‘Wow.’ I initially called the fire department, and police department and just went into prayer because the last thing I wanted was for someone to get hurt.”
The goals of the church will remain the same moving past the flames.
“The future of this building is going to be a fellowship resource center. We’re going to use it for the children of this community and feed the community like we use it now. Hopefully, we make a difference. In this neighborhood,” said Jones.
According to Richmond County dispatchers, the fire was first reported at 4:03 p.m. Tuesday.
Witnesses reported large flames in the area around 4:10 p.m.
About eight firetrucks responded.
Burden said the cause of the blaze is under investigation.
Jones wants his congregation and community to know they’ll rise from the ashes.
“God is still in control. We know things are gonna happen, but as long as we trust God, everything to work out,” said Jones. “Continue to trust God, pray and see what God does next because He’s gonna do some powerful things in this neighborhood. We just got to be ready to position so when he acts we can move on time.”
The main worship area was untouched by the flames, so church services there would go on as normal.
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AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – Democratic candidate for Georgia governor Olu Brown visited Augusta on Friday evening, stopping near the Sand Hills Community Center as early voting continues.
Brown is one of six candidates in the Democratic primary.
Campaign priorities
Brown said his vision as governor would focus on three main areas.
“One, it’s affordability around health care and making sure we expand Medicaid and expand Peach Care and make sure we continue to make our rural health care systems healthy and vital,” Brown said. “Number two, we’ve got to address education in all of Georgia, making sure every kid in Georgia gets an excellent education, and we’re paying our teachers more. And number 3, we’re protecting the rights of all women. Folks in the Gold Dome shouldn’t be making decisions about their bodies or the choices that they make.”
Brown is running against Amanda Duffy, Derrick Jackson, Geoff Duncan, Jason Esteves, Keisha Lance Bottoms and Mike Thurmond.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – An Augusta Prep student was arrested on a charge of terroristic threats over a picture of a LEGO gun he posted on social media.
It happened Wednesday, according to an incident report from the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric Hedinger, the principal of Augusta Preparatory Day School, told deputies a student had uploaded a picture to Snapchat of a “pistol” with the caption “shooting up the school so I don`t have to take the stats exam tomorrow. Don`t come yall!”
The principal said he spoke to the student and his father about the photo.
The principal also provided deputies with the student’s address in Grovetown.
A deputy went there and was told by the student that the “pistol” was a LEGO set that he had built.
He also said the comment he made was supposed to be a joke because he was not looking forward to taking his Advanced Placement statistics test this week.
The student showed the deputy the box that the LEGO set came in, and how the set was already disassembled.
The deputy also looked in the boy’s room to make sure he was not in possession of any weapons.
The mother advised that there was one firearm in the residence but it was locked up.
The deputy contacted Judge Leslie Morgan and she issued a warrant for terroristic threats.
The student, age 18, was taken into custody and transported to the Columbia County Detention Center.
News 12 is not reporting his name or publishing his photo since the LEGO gun could not have actually harmed anyone.
Copyright 2026 WRDW/WAGT. All rights reserved.
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