MOUNT PLEASANT, S.C. (WCBD) – The leader of a church more than 150 years old in Mount Pleasant damaged by fire, is giving a tour. St. Andrew’s Church Rector Steve Wood says he is looking for the blessings among the rubble.
He says, “To me and to many to see that cross still standing, there is no reason. That is the epicenter of the fire, it is a wooden cross, and the cross still stands.”
Wood has his eyes forward.
He says, “We expect the demo crews will get her out before too long, and taken to restoration, and will be part of whatever’s next for us.”
The bottom floor of the building is saturated with water.
Wood says, pointing to the ceiling, “That’s filled with water, you’re seeing those kind of tiles everywhere. There’s some drops where it’s seeping through. One of the dangers of this floor is the possibility of collapse.”
Water is dripping from the ceilings and walls of the classrooms, carpet squishing with each step.
Wood says, “You can see how high the water was, that top line is how deep the water was.”
Church leaders say the biggest way the community can help is by making a little extra room in attics and garages.
He says, “We’re going to need teams of St. Andrew’s people to help us get stuff out. We’re going to need folks to bring boxes, we’re going to need to store stuff. We’re going to need folks to help me, other clergy, box up their offices, stuff that has to go to Service Master for abatement will need to be taken there. Other stuff we’re going to need to store, like this doesn’t need that, it needs a home because this whole building is coming down.”
St. Andrew’s says they will post the information about how to get involved with cleanup efforts on their Facebook page.
The fire was reported around 3:30 a.m. Sunday at the St. Andrews Church in Mount Pleasant.
Mount Pleasant firefighters and the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the cause of the fire.
No one was hurt.
The fire was contained before it spread to a historic chapel that was built in 1857.
The building heavily damaged was constructed in 1996.
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