LOUISBURG — A fire that broke out late Wednesday morning completely destroyed a Franklin County church building. The huge fire sent smoke billowing into the sky next to US Highway 1, capturing the attention of people for miles around.

Flames filled the interior of the church after burning the roof off completely. Emergency personnel said that, at one point, flames actually ascended beyond surrounding treetops.

The fire started around 10 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighting crews from surrounding counties assisted Franklin County personnel in battling the blaze. About 120 firefighters were involved. Firefighters said they would be at the site most of the day Wednesday to ensure that no sparks would re-ignite the fire.

The building was used by a church to house elderly people. While it is believed that five people were inside the building when the fire started, no one was injured in the fire.

Southbound traffic was stopped on Highway 1 as firefighters worked

Officials did not know the exact age of the building, but said it was quite old. The investigation will be conducted by the SBI and the ATF. That is now standard procedure whenever a church affiliated building burns.