Electrical Problem Sparks Large Mass. Church Fire

March 14--HYANNIS -- An overloaded electrical extension cord may have been the cause of a fire late last night that damaged the Calvary Baptist Church, said Hyannis Deputy Fire Chief Dean Melanson this morning.

The fire began in a room behind the altar where there was bedding from people who had been staying at the church, Melanson said.

This morning an emergency clean-up crew was on scene boarding up windows and clearing up debris from the fire area.

The smell of burned wood hung heavily over the neighborhood and charred timbers were visible at the back of the church building.

One firefighter rolled his ankle while fighting the blaze and will be out of work for a while, Melanson said. No other injuries were reported, he said.

Firefighters responded to the scene at about 11:20 p.m., as smoke billowed from the steeple. Fire crews from Hyannis, Yarmouth and other nearby departments got to work quickly, climbing ladders and sawing through the roof to try to find the source of the fire.

Flames were not showing from the front of the building at about 11:30 p.m. as firefighters combed the area and climbed along the roof with buzz-saws.

Bystanders surrounded the church, which is on the corner of West Main Street and Lincoln Road, and looked on as the church doors were opened and responders probed the inside.

Standing across the street in front of the Rite Aid in his pajamas and facing the church, which he's been the pastor of for the last seven years, Bruce Smith said he just can't figure out what happened.

Smith, who lives down the street on Arrowhead Drive, said he was just going to bed when he got the call.

"I got ... disconnected so I called my brother-in-law on his cellphone, and he said the church was on fire. I just put my boots on and ran out the door," he said. "I just thank God no one is hurt. We can replace the building."

The church, built in 1951, has offered itself as a place of rest for some of the area's homeless. In January 2007, the church first opened its Pantry Kitchen, designed to serve food to homeless and low-income Cape Codders.

Over the years, Smith said the church has been a place for the homeless to stay, adding that they've had a lot of people coming through over that time. The church, he said, helps them get on their feet and then on their way.

On Tuesday night, Smith said he thinks there were four people inside staying for the night. "The people here have lost everything they own, because everything they had was left in the building. Most of them just have what's on their back anyways," he said.

When the church first opened its pantry for the needy, the congregation of 25 put up $30,000 to pay for renovations, including the installation of a foam-spraying fire protection system.

This morning, Smith said he has been inundated with phone calls from people asking how they can help. He said that contributions may be sent to: Hyannis Calvary Church, P.O. Box 984, Hyannis, MA, 02601.

Copyright 2012 - Cape Cod Times, Hyannis, Mass.