The town of Wooldridge began the rehabilitation process after a large brush fire on Saturday destroyed more than 3,000 acres and forced hundreds of people to flee their homes.

On Saturday afternoon, 70 mph winds quickly spread a fire that had started in a nearby field to residences.

In the end, the fire destroyed half of the 35-person town. Before firefighters from 50 different fire departments across the state were able to put out the fire, the Cooper County Fire Protection District estimated that up to 3,500 acres had burned.

“Woolridge’s future is uncertain… It was already such a small hamlet, according to Wooldridge resident Megan Gillispie. “Unfortunately, I believe it may get even smaller.”

The neighborhood’s corner church was still standing.

Alexis Nixon, a secretary for the Wooldridge Board of Trustees, stated, “I grew up in this church. My family has always been very engaged and had positions in this church. “In this church, I got married. Though it’s not lost, it’s an emotional experience similar to losing a family member. It was agonizing.

The pews and piano were preserved by the neighborhood. The remainder needs to be torn out and rebuilt from scratch.