“We will rise above this”: Pastor and keynote speaker address fire at Calvary Baptist Church | News, sports, jobs

Two city firefighters en route to a carbon monoxide call in the city’s East End discovered the fire as they passed the building about 8:10 p.m., city Fire Chief Sam Aungst said. The firefighters were on their way in the city’s new tower truck to assist two other firefighters in the East End “They noticed a lot of smoke on the street and then smelled a hint of it. They stopped and started looking for the source.” said Aungst.

“Divine Intervention” he said.

“They saw a cloud of smoke coming from a basement window at the front of the church and reported the fire over the radio.” said Aungst. The building is located on the southwest corner of Washington Boulevard and Packer Street.

“The basement window from which the smoke came burst then” the boss added.

The Rev. Howard Woodruff watches from the fire department as regional firefighters work the scene of a fire at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamsport Wednesday evening. The fire, which broke out around 8:00 p.m., severely damaged the church and was officially reported under control at 9:53 p.m. “The age of the building, the combustibility of the wood in the structure. “This is just a nightmare,” said Woodruff, who himself was a volunteer for several years. The structure is about 135 years old, he said. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun Gazette

“The fire started in the basement and then spread to an interior wall in the sanctuary.” Aungst explained.

Within minutes, a second alarm was triggered, bringing additional manpower and firefighting equipment to the scene. About 20 minutes before the fire was discovered, Woodruff and about a dozen church members had left the building after conducting a Bible study.

“We didn’t smell anything. When we left we didn’t hear or feel anything,” Woodruff said.

“I barely got home when I got a call that a fire had broken out in the church.” said Woodruff, who was on the scene immediately. The call came from a church member who heard the 911 call on a scanner in her home.

Firefighting teams from several communities worked together to combat the thick smoke pouring from the building. Church fires present unique challenges to firefighters because of the large open space in a sanctuary “the small, narrow spaces” They are often found in such buildings, Aungst explained, adding that smoke entered an attic above the sanctuary and made it very difficult for firefighters to get there.

Area firefighters rest, rehydrate and then put their gear back on as they work the scene of a fire at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamsport Wednesday evening. The fire, which broke out around 8:00 p.m., severely damaged the church and was officially reported under control at 9:53 p.m. “The age of the building, the combustibility of the wood in the structure. “This is just a nightmare,” said Woodruff, who himself was a volunteer for several years. The structure is about 135 years old, he said. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun Gazette

“The fire started in the basement and damaged two rooms and part of a hallway. The fire spread between the bricks and the boards.” at the front of the church, the chief added. To reach a hidden hotspot near the ceiling, firefighters eventually had to tear down many of the bricks, Aungst said.

“It was very difficult to gain access to this area from the inside, so we started tearing down the bricks.” he added.

Arrived at the crime scene,“Firefighters forced open an exterior door on the northwest corner of the building and descended a flight of stairs directly into the basement. As more off-duty firefighters arrived, additional hoses were carried into the church, including two to the first floor.” Aungst explained.

As Woodruff, a volunteer firefighter himself for decades, watched firefighters work to save the church, he became increasingly concerned about its safety.

“It looks like it’s getting worse.” said the Rev. Howard Woodruff as he watched smoke billow from the top of the church where he has been pastor for just over two years.

Regional firefighters work the scene of a fire at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamsport on Wednesday evening. The fire, which broke out around 8:00 p.m., severely damaged the church and was officially reported under control at 9:53 p.m. “The age of the building, the combustibility of the wood in the structure. “This is just a nightmare,” said Woodruff, who himself was a volunteer for several years. The structure is about 135 years old, he said. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun Gazette

“I am very concerned about the safety of firefighters, especially given the age of the building. I just told the fire chief (Aungst) that I don’t want anyone to get hurt.” Woodruff said.

The church was built about 135 years ago.

“It looks like the fire has spread throughout the building. Maybe everyone should be pulled out,” he said in a brief interview shortly before 9 p.m

“The age of the building, the combustibility of the wood in the structure; “It’s just a nightmare,” Woodruff said. “I’d rather lose a church than lose any lives… It’s really, really hard to watch when you know exactly what’s going on inside.”

While fighting the fire, firefighters took special precautions to preserve some of the church’s sacred artifacts, including a Bible. They also covered other items with tarps. Firefighters successfully removed a stained glass window.

Regional firefighters work at the scene of a fire at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamsport on Wednesday evening. The fire, which broke out around 8:00 p.m., severely damaged the church and was officially reported under control at 9:53 p.m. “The age of the building, the combustibility of the wood in the structure. “This is just a nightmare,” said Woodruff, who himself was a volunteer for several years. The structure is about 135 years old, he said. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun Gazette

When interviewed at the scene Thursday morning, Aungst said there was never a need to remove crews from the church during the fire, which was brought under control in about 90 minutes. There were no injuries.

City firefighters also joined state police firefighters in their investigation to determine the cause of the fire. Aungst said the state is automatically involved in any fire in a church. Per protocol, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives was also alerted to the fire. Gracie, an 8-year-old arson dog and her handler with the Reading Fire Department, was responded to the scene.

Firefighters from Old Lycoming Township, Montoursville, Loyalsock Township, South Williamsport and Jersey Shore assisted in fighting the fire. According to county Fire Chief Jeff Trammell, a South Williamsport Fire Department employee en route to the fire was involved in an accident in which the fire truck and a car collided on the Market Street bridge. No one was injured in the accident and the plane was soon able to make its way to the scene of the fire after police freed its crew from the scene, Trammell said.

When Woodruff returned to the church about 14 hours after the fire, he expressed hope that parishioners would be able to meet for Sunday services in Calvary’s fellowship hall, since that part of the complex was not directly affected by the fire. “The most important thing is to restore power to this area.” he said.

“There has already been so much encouragement and support from other churches, many of them inviting us to take this Sunday off and worship with them or use their own building for worship.” Woodruff said. “My preference is to restore power and hold our service here. We have to work really hard to make this happen. I want people to know that we are still here and that we will get through this. We will be there for the community, just as the community has been there for us.” he added. “We want to try to return to normality as quickly as possible.”

Regional firefighters work the scene of a fire at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamsport on Wednesday evening. The fire, which broke out around 8:00 p.m., severely damaged the church and was officially reported under control at 9:53 p.m. “The age of the building, the combustibility of the wood in the structure. “This is just a nightmare,” said Woodruff, who himself was a volunteer for several years. The structure is about 135 years old, he said. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun Gazette

Woodruff praised firefighters for saving the historic building.

“They were absolutely incredible. They were fabulous, they really were. They made one of the best aggressive stops I’ve ever seen.” He said and added that “From the chiefs down, they all showed care and compassion.”

Would the fire have gone undetected? “Another five minutes, we would probably have lost the entire sanctuary.” he said. The portion of the basement where the fire started was used only as a storage area, Woodruff said.