A fire broke out Friday evening at the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas.
Initially, 40 Dallas Fire and Rescue units responded. A little over an hour later, a third alarm was called, and flames could be seen breaking through the roof of part of the church. And by 8 pm, nearly 60 units are fighting the fire.
A Dallas Fire Rescue spokesman said part of the building collapsed shortly after 7:30 p.m.
As of 8:50 p.m., the smoke in the surrounding area has reduced significantly, the reporters at the scene said. Just after 9:30 p.m., the spokesman said the fire had been “knocked out and contained” and the building had “substantially collapsed”.
Here’s what we know so far:
Where was the fire?
At 6:05 p.m., Dallas Fire-Rescue was called to the building at 1717 San Jacinto Street in downtown Dallas, Fire Capt. Robert Bors said in a statement. The fire broke out at the second church of the downtown megachurch, which has more than 16,000 members.
In a later statement, Borse confirmed that the structure involved was the secondary church of the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas. The red brick building was built in 1890.
Images of the secondary church on Friday showed it engulfed in flames.
A fire broke out Friday evening at the historic First Baptist Church of Dallas.
Around 6:40 p.m., about 40 first-responding units were called to respond to the fire, Pors said.
Was anyone injured in the church fire?
No injuries have been reported so far, Bors said.
said Ben Lovehorn, executive pastor of First Baptist Dallas Dallas Morning News That there were no injuries. He said he was one of the last people in the building.
How did the First Baptist Dallas fire start?
It is too early to say how the fire started.
A resident who lives several blocks away said she heard a “boom” loud enough to rattle her windows. But Borse said first responders could not confirm whether there was a “boom” when the fire broke out. Two others near the church said they did not hear the boom.
Lovvorn said he believed the fire started shortly after 6 p.m., but said the cause was still unknown.
How did fire originate?
The fire worsened after first responders were called around 6 p.m., and thick gray smoke continued to fill the sky above the church and chapel. The building caught fire around 7.30 pm
Onlookers reported feeling the heat coming from half a block away from the building.
At its peak, smoke from the fire was seen across the city, including White Rock Lake in northeast Dallas.
While Borse said the fire is now “under control,” he added that first responders will be on the scene to extinguish “all areas that are on fire.”
What does DFR call for ‘fourth alarm’ mean?
Dallas Fire-Rescue initially classified the fire as a second-alarm fire, but upgraded it to a third-alarm at 7:25 p.m., meaning the fire called for a large response, including four fire engines, three trucks and two rescues, Borse said. . First responders requested a fourth alarm around 8:15 p.m
The higher the alarm, the more difficult it is to extinguish the fire. A fifth-alarm fire is usually the highest level of alarm for a fire.
What did the first Baptist say about fire?
At 8 o’clock in the evening, the church was sent to its place Facebook page, saying, “No one is hurt or injured.” The post asked congregation members to pray.
“Even though Vacation Bible School had 2,000 kids and volunteers on campus, we’re thankful that no lives were lost that we know of,” Robert Jeffress, the church’s senior pastor, said late Friday. “As sad as the loss of this old sanctuary is, we are thankful that this church is not bricks and wood, but more than 16,000 people determined more than ever to reach the world for the gospel of Christ. Please pray for everyone at First Baptist Dallas.
In a Facebook post at 9:32 p.m., the church said it still intended to hold Sunday services.
