MACON, Ga. — The fire off of Skipper Road in Macon is out after crews battled the flames for eight hours Friday night.
Macon-Bibb County firefighters were called to the fire around 6:30 p.m. The flames fully engulfed the old driving range near Hartley Bridge Road.
Captain Ron Smith said five units responded and found that no one was inside the abandoned building.
"There is nobody that's been injured or harmed in any way. Basically, obviously the fire did get put out, so everybody is safe and sound," said Smith.
The fire was out by 2:30 a.m. and late Saturday morning, crews were still on the scene putting out hot spots.
"Fires of this size, structures of this size, there is always going to be some smoldering and a few little hot spots here and there," Smith said.
Pastor Steve Sawyer pulled up to the scene soon after the fire started.
His church, Harvest Cathedral, bought the land back in 2004 hoping they might relocate.
"It was a little overwhelming. Pretty emotional, you know, we have a lot of emotion. A lot of years invested in that property and maybe some hopes and to see it burning was — that was tough. No doubt," Sawyer said.
After some changes in the economy and internally at their church, they recently decided to put the land back on the market.
Sawyer said the most important thing is that everyone is safe.
"The first concern was, of course, just praying there was nobody in there," he said.
ORIGINAL STORY: Bibb crews control 'suspicious' fire at Skipper Road golf range
Bibb crews control 'suspicious' fire at Skipper Road golf range
Now, he just wants to know what started the fire.
"We've had trouble with vandals, vandalism. We've wrestled with that for quite a while. Maybe it's related to that, we don't know," Sawyer said.
The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.
Chief Marvin Riggins told 13WMAZ they were waiting on an arson investigator and an arson dog.
"We had our investigators come out and take a look at it. There is a lot involved with it," he said.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was on scene Saturday afternoon. Smith said now they are waiting to hear from them on the cause of the fire.
Sawyer said he wants to thank the firefighters that were on the scene.
"I would just like to thank Chief Riggins and the fire department," Sawyer said. "They were amazing. He was so kind and good and comforting to me, and spent a good amount of time with me out there and I really appreciate them and what they did out there."
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