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News
| 7/21/2008 8:56:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article |
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Firefighters battle a fire that rekindled Friday night at the Sheffield Federated Church. The initial fire earlier that day ignited with a lightning strike. |
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Caution tape lines the outside of the Sheffield Federated Church Saturday. A fire that began Friday morning rekindled after firefighters initially extinguished the flames in the bell tower. By early Saturday the church was destroyed. |
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Church Fire Rekindles
100-Year-Old Building Destroyed
A blaze ignited by lightning in the bell tower at Sheffield Federated Church Friday morning rekindled that night after an initial round of fire fighting, and destroyed the 100-year-old building by Saturday morning.
"The four walls and the front are still standing, but everything else burned up," said the Rev. Tim Pittman, pastor of the church, on Sunday evening.
Firefighters, who responded to the lightning strike at around 11 a.m., believed the two-alarm fire was out by Friday night and left the church, Pittman said.
"At around 10 that night people in the community started seeing flames again," Pittman said.
The church, located in the middle of Sheffield village on Route 122, was destroyed by 1:30 Saturday morning, he said. About 40 parishioners held a prayer vigil on the church lawn Sunday in place of a regular service, Pittman said.
"We hope to rebuild," he said. "We're meeting with the insurance company [Monday]. We plan to rebuild."
About 30 parishioners attend the Sheffield Federated Church for services each week, Pittman said. The building was just over a century old, he said.
Marc Brown, chief of the Sheffield-Wheelock Fire Department, said emergency workers believed the fire was out at around 9:30 p.m., and left the scene.
"There was no smoke showing at all, anywhere," Brown said. "We shined lights on everything."
At around 10:50, however, the department was dispatched back to the church for a rekindle. When firefighters arrived the roof was fully involved in flames, Brown said.
"It's just too bad," Brown said. "It's kind of strange, but rekindles happen."
He speculates the fire rekindled in the bell tower.
Firefighters from around the area, including Glover, Lyndonville, and Sutton, responded to the blaze, both times. The East Burke Fire Brigade and the West Burke Fire Department were placed on stand-by. The American Red Cross was also on hand.
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