Category Archives: Place of Worship

Other Business, Place of Worship

South Whitehall, PA – Fire at synagogue controlled by sprinkler system

Emergency crews responded to a small fire at Temple Beth El in South Whitehall Township, Lehigh County Sunday afternoon. The fire was reported at the synagogue – located in the 1300 block of Springhouse Road – around 7:30 a.m., according to county officials.

Crews on scene say the fire broke out in the rear of the building and was contained to a small maintenance room, which suffered smoke damage and minor water damage. Luckily, officials say the building’s sprinkler system was functioning properly and kept the fire from spreading throughout the rest of the building.

The fire did go to a second alarm, but only due to the size of the structure and the temperature outside. No one was inside the synagogue when the flames broke out, and no injuries were reported. Investigators are still looking into what may have sparked this fire.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Lincoln, NE – Fire in church kitchen limited by sprinkler system

A Lincoln church is once again picking up the pieces after a three-alarm blaze damaged part of its new building. But Tuesday’s fire wasn’t as devastating as the one nine years ago that consumed Zion Church.  “Honestly, it seems ridiculously surreal,” the Rev. Stu Kerns said. “There’s just no other word for it.”

A fire in an oven in the kitchen of the old church near downtown Lincoln gutted the entire structure in 2007. “As soon as it came in it was like, incredible, what bad luck for these folks, you know? Your heart goes out to them,” Fire Battalion Chief Jim Bopp said.

Kerns said they are thankful that no one was hurt in Tuesday’s fire or the one nine years ago. A sprinkler system confined the damage on Tuesday mostly to the kitchen area. The worship hall and a new 7,000-square-foot expansion area were undamaged.

“It worked perfectly,” Kerns said. “The fire doors closed, the sprinklers went off. He shakes us up to make us focus in on what’s real and true and important. I’m going to look at that as a gift. It doesn’t feel like a gift right now, but I’m going to look on that as a gift.”

Other Business, Place of Worship

Cottonwood, AZ – Sprinkler system stops overnight fire at church from spreading

Shortly after 1 a.m. Thursday, the Cottonwood Fire and Medical Department was sent to a structure fire at the River Community Church on the water tank hill above the 400 block of South Willard Street. Fire personnel said that flames were visible from a block away. The main body of the fire was located in a utility sub-structure attached to the main church building, containing heating and cooling system ductwork.

The fire had breached the wall of the sub-structure and extended into the sanctuary of the church where flames were stopped by church’s fire sprinkler system. The fire was controlled within 30 minutes, however the blaze took about an hour to fully extinguish.

Fire damage was extensive to the HVAC sub-structure and there was additional fire damage to walls and adjacent roof and ceiling areas of the sanctuary. There was also smoke damage throughout the structure as well as some water damage to furnishings. Clarkdale Fire District and Verde Valley Ambulance Company assisted Cottonwood Fire with support.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Church Hill, TN – Sprinkler system extinguishes arson fire at Baptist church

Six thousand dollars in reward money is being offered by the First Baptist Church of Church Hill ($5,000) and the Church Hill Police Department ($1,000) for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for an early Wednesday burglary and fire at the First Baptist Church of Church Hill on East Main Boulevard.

The church sustained fire, smoke and water damage early Wednesday apparently after burglars started two fires in the sanctuary. On Wednesday afternoon, Church Hill Police Chief Mark Johnson issued a news release on Wednesday afternoon about the incident in which he asked that anyone with knowledge of the crime call police.

“On March 23rd at approximately 2:50 a.m., officers with the Church Hill Police Department responded to a fire alarm at the First Baptist Church of Church Hill located at 202 E. Main Blvd.,” Chief Johnson wrote in the news release. “Church Hill Officers observed flames inside the sanctuary. The Church Hill Fire Department was paged out and responded to the scene. The fire was quickly extinguished by a combination of the sprinkler system and responding firefighters. However, the church was heavily damaged by smoke and water from the sprinkler system.”

The fire chief noted that by the time firefighters entered the church sanctuary, the church’s fire sprinklers had discharged, extinguishing the two fires in the altar area of the church. “We didn’t have to use any water to put out the fires,” Chief Wood said. “But the sanctuary was filled with smoke and we used fans to get as much of it out as possible.”

Firefighters quickly determined that the two sanctuary fires had been intentionally set, Chief Wood said. He noted that the fires remain under investigation by the Church Hill Police Department. A police spokesperson said this morning that a report about the fire was not yet on file and that Police Chief Mark Johnson was not available for comment.

The police chief noted in the news release that a CHPD investigation revealed that someone (likely more than one) gained entry to the church by an unknown means. “There is a possibility that the suspect(s) had access to one or more keys to the church,” Chief Johnson wrote.

However they entered the church, the suspect(s) committed petty vandalism by pouring toilet bowl cleaner onto the floor, the chief noted in news release. The suspect(s) also committed theft by removing multiple miscellaneous items from the locked music room, then placing the items in a pile outside (the church) before abandoning them, the chief wrote.

 “The suspect(s) deliberately set two fires near the stage/altar,” Chief Johnson wrote. “One in the middle. The other on the left side on the steps leading to the altar. we are estimating the fire, smoke, and water damage will end up exceeding a million dollars. We are excluding no one as a suspect, however, this may have crime may have been committed by young people.”

The chief also noted that Church Hill police are in possession of items the suspect(s) handled and will be forwarding them to the TBI crime lab with a request to detect latent fingerprints. “We have also made a request to obtain video footage of a nearby business with surveillance equipment,” Chief Johnson wrote.

The chief noted that First Baptist Church of Church Hill is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible for the damage while the Church Hill Police Department is offering a separate $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person(s) responsible.

“I am asking anyone with any information on this despicable crime to contact us immediately by calling (423) 357-7181 or (423) 357-3487,” Chief Johnson wrote.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Anchorage, AK – Sprinklers stop intentionally-set fire in church kitchen

Anchorage police say a Friday morning church fire was started by someone who broke into the building.

The fire occurred at the Lutheran Church of Hope on the 1800 block of W. Northern Lights Boulevard,

Someone broke in through a back window of the church, tore through the office, then used paperwork from inside to start the fire in the kitchen, according to the Anchorage Police Department.

The blaze activated the sprinkler system — which doused the fire before it could spread to other parts of the church, authorities say.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Amherst, NY – Sprinkler system activates to contain church arson fire

A Molotov cocktail was thrown into a chapel early Saturday morning in Amherst. Amherst Police say that around 5:30 a.m. they responded to a fire alarm at the Chapel at Crosspoint. When they arrived they found that a Molotov cocktail had been thrown through a glass door and started a fire. A sprinkler system contained the fire.

Damage was estimated to be $10,000. Amherst Police and the A.T.F are investigating the incident, including checking security cameras belonging to the Chapel and nearby businesses. Anyone with information is asked to call (716) 689-1364.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Murfreesboro, TN – Sprinklers activate and control suspected arson fire at church

Two small fires damaged a Murfreesboro church and a beer brewery late Monday night.  According to the Murfreesboro Fire and Rescue Department spokeswoman Ashley McDonald, crews responded to a fire alarm call in the 500 block of Old Salem Road around 11:45 p.m.

While on their way to the scene personnel learned the burglar alarm was also going off.  The front doors of the building were not secure and the sprinkler system had been activated in the front corridor, which is shared by Experience Community Church and Mayday Brewery, according to McDonald.

Fire crews found two small fires that had been reportedly set in what appeared to be donation bins in that corridor, and a gas can was nearby. McDonald said an abandoned pick-up truck was found in the parking lot. The doors were unlocked and there were slashes in the back tires.

The sprinkler system kept the fire damage to a minimum, however the church did receive water and smoke damage while the brewery appeared to have very minimal water damage, according to the acting shift commander.

The Fire Marshal’s Office is now investigating the case. It wasn’t clear if it would be ruled an arson.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Melbourne, FL – Sprinklers help limit damage in church arson fire

On a day when students from her congregation were to learn about slain civil rights activists Harry and Harriette V. Moore, Bishop Jacquelyn Gordon found herself awakened by a phone call informing her that an arsonist set a small fire in her church and scrawled a swastika on a nearby wall.

“To wake up to a call at 3:30 a.m. and find this, it’s mind-blowing,” said Gordon, standing near the blackened ruin of several chairs and furniture in one of the storage compartments at the New Shiloh Christian Center in Melbourne.

The blaze, which left behind $5,000 in damages, set off an alarm about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday. Sprinklers were activated, which Gordon credits with keeping the fire from spreading to the nearby electrical room.

The main sanctuary, housed in the same 125,000-square-foot building, was not affected by smoke or fire. Melbourne firefighters quickly contained the fire and discovered evidence of arson.

Melbourne police did not immediately return calls about the case and whether it would be investigated as a possible hate crime. Police report that the vandals also broke into the electrical room, burning through locks and kicking in doors.

Other Business, Place of Worship

Houston, TX – (NO MEDIA COVERAGE) Fire at large church controlled by single sprinkler

*** FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED – NO MEDIA COVERAGE ***

The West I-10 Fire Department responded to the report of a fire in a large Light Hazard building. The Second Baptist Church located at 19449 was not occupied when the call was received. The call came in at 1755 hours on January 1, 2015. Engine 01 and District 9 arrived on the scene at 1807 and assumed command and started the investigation. This fire was controlled by one sprinkler head.

*Incident Command Narrative:*

“A” division reports grey smoke, non-pressurized, alarm sounding and crews can hear an active sprinkler head flowing water. E-01 establishes a forward apartment house hose lay and enters on a right wall search. E-01 quickly reports identifying a television on fire, held in check by sprinkler system. E-01 extinguishes fire, tap out reported.

Building officials on site and confirm building was not occupied. Building officials worked to assist fire department personnel. “C” division assigned to secure sprinkler system and open main drain. Transition from extinguishment to salvage/overhaul, and ventilation begins.

Building ventilated with multiple fans, crews began removal of standing water in lobby of church. Walk through completed with. Also spoke with Director of Operations and answered all questions and completed second walk through with him also. Phone call made to HCFMO and discussed situation. I requested that HCFMO visit site and issue a fire watch order due to sprinkler and fire alarm systems being offline.

Other Business, Place of Worship, Residential

Sprinkler system helps to limit damage at historic church (Albany, NY)

The fire was discovered just after 2 a.m. at Willamette Community Church by a pastor who found smoke after he responded to a security alarm.  Albany Fire Marshal Michael Trabue said the damage was limited to the interior of the church. According to Trabue, the building will require some structural repairs, but the damage was not widespread thanks in part to the basement’s fire sprinkler system. There were no injuries. The cause remains under investigation.