A big fire in southern McCormick County destroyed a pastor's home.
Nobody was hurt, but it does raise questions about response times in rural areas.

The home belonged to Larry Brown and his wife. Brown pastors Victory Baptist Church in North Augusta.

"I got the call that said the house was on fire. I didn't know it was this much. Everything was lost. It's devastated," Brown said.

Neighbor Diana Crislip was the first to spot the blaze -- and called 911.

"They came immediately, and responded immediately," she said.

She has nothing but praise for the Clarks Hill Volunteer Fire Department -- but Chief Billy Ryan says they were badly overwhelmed.

"We just never had anything like this. We've had small house fires and trailer fires," he said.

Chief Ryan says he needs more volunteers -- the department just has 10 -- and more money. He says half the folks in Clarks Hill don't pay his department's $30 per year dues.

Crislip says she knows the dues, and the added risk just goes with the territory.

"You know when you buy property out here, where you are situated . . how far it is to fire response and police response," she said.

It's a lesson learned hard by Larry Brown -- but he's not letting the fire faze him.

"It can be put back, people do it every day. It's my turn. I'm going to have to do it now," he said.

It took crews from four departments hours to knock out the flames.

Members of Brown's church say the most important thing they can do right now is pray. One said it was a miracle nobody was hurt.

Brown and his family were at a revival at the time.

Fire investigators say it appears the fire started from some type of electrical malfunction.