Officials: Fireworks Caused Fire That Gutted Oklahoma Church

July 5, 2004
Witnesses said juveniles shot fireworks from an apartment building and caught the roof of a Spanish-language church on fire.

TULSA, Okla. (AP) -- Witnesses said juveniles shot fireworks from an apartment building and caught the roof of a Spanish-language church on fire.

The blaze gutted Iglesia Evangelica Cristiana Espiritual on Saturday night, leaving only the smoldering brick outer walls. Firefighters estimated the damage at $400,000.

Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Hubert Rouse confirmed that fireworks caused the fire.

No arrests have been made.

Firefighters were notified about 7 p.m., and they battled the fire for less than an hour.

A firefighter who sustained minor injuries from falling debris was released from hospital care Saturday after receiving treatment. No other people were injured in the fire.

Azucerna Rivas Salazar, a woman who lived in the church, ran outside when she saw smoke coming from the air-conditioning vent, she said through an interpreter. She said on Saturday that church representatives were out of town.

Information from the Tulsa World

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