Category Archives: Place of Worship

Other Business, Place of Worship

Wyoming, MI – Sprinkler system activated for fire at church

Cleanup is underway at a church in Wyoming after a fire Monday night.

That night, board members of The Potter’s House noticed a glare beyond The Potter House Chapel’s windows. It wasn’t the sun they were seeing, it was flames.

“It’s like, ‘My goodness, the church is on fire,’” said John Booy, superintendent of the Potter’s House School.

Booy said the fire started in a waste basket near a sound board in the sanctuary, damaging the equipment. Fortunately, it was put out quickly.

“Our fire suppression sprinkler system worked really well because the fire started right underneath the balcony, which is all wood and it would’ve been no time, it would’ve gone up like a match,” Booy said.

Water from the sprinkler system caused some damage in the sanctuary and classrooms underneath it that are used for computer, art, science and music classes for the school that is connected to the church.

“There was an extensive amount of damage to the ceilings, which will all pretty much have to be replaced, smoke damage, soot is going to have to be taken care of, electrical has been damaged,” Booy said.

In the hours following the fire, Booy said The Potter’s House saw an outpouring of help from the community to start the recovery process.

“Everybody came out, got out of bed, drove over, even if it was from Holland or Muskegon, worked all through the night until 4:30 (a.m.) and beyond,” Booy said.

As restoration work continues, school is expected to begin as normal on Aug. 26. But it could take some time before the sanctuary can be used.

“We’re not going to be able to have our opening worship session in the church like we planned,” Booy said.

He said he’s thankful that no one was hurt and the fire wasn’t worse. He acknowledged things could have been much different if those board members didn’t notice the incident quickly.

“You have a meeting that you never have go that long, you leave and you see a light in there and you’re on it right away. So we were able to notify the fire department immediately,” Booy said.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Vancouver, WA – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at church

Authorities are searching for a suspect accused of breaking into a church and trying to start a fire. It happened early Sunday morning in Vancouver. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office says someone broke into the City Harvest Church by breaking a window. They then allegedly tried to start a fire inside the building, but a sprinkler system quickly extinguished the flames. Authorities are investigating the incident as arson.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Chattanooga, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at Chattanooga Masonic Center

The Chattanooga Fire and Chattanooga Police are investigating an incident at the Chattanooga Masonic Center involving arson and vandalism early Monday morning.

Firefighters responded to the Masonic Lodge at 551 W. 21st Street on a fire alarm activation at 2:11 a.m.

When CFD personnel arrived on scene, they found a fire on the left front exterior of the building which was quickly extinguished. The front doors were also open and as crews made entry, they found another small fire inside the structure which had activated the sprinkler system. The sprinklers effectively extinguished the interior fire.

Along with fire and water damage, there was also damage to the building from vandalism.

There is an active and ongoing investigation into what happened at this location.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Columbia, MO – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at church; No injuries reported

The Columbia Fire Department responded to a fire at Missouri United Methodist Church early Monday morning.

According to a release from the fire department, at 4:03 am crews were called to Missouri United Methodist Church on Ninth Street where they found a large amount of smoke in the multipurpose area of the building and the automatic fire sprinkler system in the building was already activated.

Fire crews initiated search and rescue operations and began ventilation operations to clear the structure of smoke and ensured the fire was contained.

The fire sprinkler system fully extinguished the fire and no injuries were reported.

Columbia fire marshals determined the fire to have originated on the stage and was caused by a piece of sound equipment.

Everything was brought under control within thirty minutes.

Fire crews remained on the scene until mid-morning to ensure there were no areas of hidden fire remaining and to remove as much smoke and water as possible from the building.

Initial damage was estimated at $200,000.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Shreveport, LA – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at church

A Shreveport church is speaking out after it was discovered Friday morning that an individual broke in and attempted to set the building on fire.

“I pray for the individual, if he is able to see this, that you would come to know the Love of Jesus,” Pastor James McMenis at Word of God Ministries said.

About 4:30 a.m., a security camera at Word of God Ministries showed footage of a masked male hitting a door of the church with a bat and gaining entrance into the building. Cameras followed the suspect, who proceeded to douse the children’s area with gasoline.

The masked man then lit a fire. The sprinkler system extinguished the fire within a minute.

Shreveport firefighters and police were on the scene within minutes of the incident.

A Word of God Ministries spokesperson said that services will go ahead as scheduled Sunday.

This incident is under investigation.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Roseville, MN – Sprinkler system activated for arson fire at Salvation Army Service Center

Officials say a Brooklyn Park Salvation Army Service Center was set on fire and vandalized Thursday night. 

A man police said is known to them was taken into custody in connection with the break-in and fire. The building’s chapel suffered damage from the arson, but the fire was “contained with the help of the building’s sprinkler system,” according to a press release. 

The suspect also reportedly destroyed the building’s windows and office areas. Officials say he was seen on security footage “piling a chair and new coats onto a pew in the chapel and lighting it on fire.”

“This has been devastating to our staff here,” said Captain Josh Polanco, who leads the Brooklyn Park service center. “Our food shelf here is fairly new, and membership at our church has been growing. But we will make the necessary repairs, because the families in the community rely on us for assistance.”

The service center was preparing to distribute winter coats, which would have taken place on Friday. The Salvation Army is asking for coat donations of all sizes, for adults and kids, to replace those that were damaged in the fire.

“We know at least 200 coats, which were damaged already– those we have to replace,” Lt. Colonel Dan Jennings said. “And we think more people will need coats as well, and today is a great reminder it does get cold in the Twin Cities.”

 The coats can be dropped off starting Monday, Nov. 7 at 10011 Noble Parkway. Or you can specific donate to the coat program here.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Rochester, MN – Sprinkler system activated for fire at church; No injuries reported

An early Monday fire in the basement of a Rochester church caused considerable damage, but an alarm system and sprinklers kept things from becoming worse.

Alerted to a blaze at Peace United Church of Christ just after 2 a.m., firefighters arrived to find thick black smoke filling the building at 1503 2nd Av. NE., Fire Department spokesman K.C. Clark said.

The fire broke out in the church’s lower level between the sanctuary and an attached preschool. A portable water extinguisher was used to put out the main fire. An overhead sprinkler that had activated before firefighters arrived helped keep the fire from spreading, Clark said.

Damage was mainly confined to the area of the blaze, but there was a significant smoke on the main and lower levels, Clark said.

“Nearly all parts of the church will need remediation due to the smoke,” Clark said. “Things might have been much worse had the church not had an automatic smoke and fire alarm. Had the building not been protected by an alarm system, it is likely the building would have sustained significant fire damage.”

No one was in the building at the time, and no firefighters were hurt, Clark said.

A damage estimate was not immediately available. Officials have not determined a cause.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Brossard, QC, Canada – Sprinkler system extinguishes fire at mosque; No injuries reported

An early morning fire at the Islamic Community Centre on Grande Allee Blvd. in Brossard, Que., was most likely started by an electrical issue, according to Longueuil Police.

Firefighters arrived at the mosque around 1a.m Saturday morning. The fire was already being extinguished by the building’s emergency sprinkler system. Firefighters were able to control the blaze in about 30 minutes.

According to security footage, there was nobody inside at the time. No injuries were reported.

Investigators say there is about $50,000 in damages.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Branson, MO – Church fire extinguished by sprinkler system

Branson firefighters helped clean up a church that caught on fire Saturday evening, which allowed the church to hold its Sunday morning service without any setbacks.

Fire crews responded after an automatic fire alarm went off Saturday at Faith and Wisdom Church.

When firefighters arrived, they determined the fire had started in a small utility room. The fire had been extinguished by the fire sprinkler system, but firefighters had to shut off the sprinklers.

Crews helped out with extensive cleanup, using vent fans to clear out the smoke. They also used squeegees to remove water from the building to prevent it from spreading into the sanctuary.

It’s unclear how much damage the fire caused at this time or how it started. Though the church was able to reopen Sunday and hold morning services.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Syracuse, UT – Arson fire at church extinguished by sprinkler system

A 16-year-old boy has been arrested on suspicion of arson after a Syracuse chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was burned, vandalized, and defaced with anti-Christian symbols.

The Syracuse Police Department issued a statement Saturday afternoon on the case, which was first reported by Gephardt Daily.

On Oct. 9, 2021 at approximately 1 a.m., the Syracuse Fire Department responded to an LDS Church at 1112 S. 1525 West in Syracuse on a fire alarm. When fire crews entered the building, they found it filled with smoke and discovered a sprinkler system had extinguished the fire.

Fire crews observed extensive water and property damage throughout the building caused by the fire. Additionally, the fire department observed several intentional acts of vandalism throughout the building. The fire is being investigated as arson.

Syracuse Police Department, Syracuse Fire Department, Davis County Sheriff’s Office Crime Lab and the ATF are working together to investigate the arson and vandalism.

On Oct. 9, 2021 at 2 p.m., an arson arrest was made regarding this case; a 16-year-old male responsible for the damage was booked into a juvenile detention facility. He will not be identified because he is a juvenile.

Response

Emergency crews responded to the scene, a few blocks southeast of Syracuse High School, at about 1:10 a.m. Sprinklers had doused the blaze.

Arson damage to the interior included the burning of padded benches used by the congregation.

Inverted crosses, and what appeared to a pentagram, were spray-painted on the front of the church. Images including the number 666 were sprayed on other doors.

Officers questioned neighbors about anything they might have seen or captured on surveillance video. Syracuse Police Department officers were back at the scene in the morning, questioning any neighbors they might have missed earlier.

Several vehicles from a local cleaning company were on the scene Saturday morning, after the scene had been cleared by investigators.

Gephardt Daily will have additional information if it is released by police.