Effingham firefighters responded to the Assembly Church Thursday night after a bird's nest was ignited by an illuminated cross, causing more than $50,000 in damage.
The Effingham Fire Department was dispatched at 10:36 p.m. Thursday. Engine 576 from station 3 was the first on scene. Fire Chief Joseph Holomy said the officer of the engine, Tasha Hoffman, made a quick tactical decision that may have saved the church building from more substantial damage.
“She decided to utilize the deck gun on top of the engine and that is the new engine down there with 1,000 gallons of water on board, so she used that water to her advantage and blitz-attacked the fire,” said Holomy. “She knocked down probably over 95 percent of the fire before anyone else got there.
“Her and her partner, Rich Baker, our fire engineer, definitely made a significant difference in the outcome of the fire. It could have gotten into that attic space and had it, there would have been a very different outcome.”
“It was crucial,” added the Rev. Dallas Bear, the church's pastor. “They were fantastic.”
With the fire initially upgraded to a full still, Teutopolis Fire Department and Watson Fire Protection District were also called to the scene as was Abbott EMS, though there were no reported injuries. Effingham City police and the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with traffic control.
The fire was reported under control by 10:55 p.m. after it was contained to the north end of the building, just outside the lobby and entrance to the church sanctuary. Ceiling tiles inside the building, particularly in the lobby, were also damaged as part of the fire response. Smoke was also reported throughout the building.
Crews remained on scene Thursday night, checking for signs of any fire extension with thermal imaging cameras. Personnel also set up tarps to protect interior furnishing from water and overhaul operations.
The structural damage was estimated by EFD at $30,000 with an additional $20,000 in damaged contents. But Bear learned Friday that a wooden truss was also badly damaged, so he estimated the total cost of the damage is likely to rise.
Over a dozen individuals with the fire restoration company ServPro were on scene Friday morning to help dry the building and remove the smoke odor.
“They are going to clean the carpets and get the moisture out of the walls so there isn’t mold,” added Bear, who said he expects insurance will cover the damage.
Holomy says it was ironic that his crew employed the tactical maneuver that it did since the department has been focusing more on such tactics in recent months.
“It was a very, very good tactical decision,” said Holomy. “These tactical maneuvers are something we’ve been training on the last couple months and we’ve been changing some of our tactical means on some of these fires. That is one of them that she (Hoffman) utilized and it clearly paid off.
“I’m very proud of the crew and all the guys and gals last night,” added Holomy. “They did a heck of a job. I just can’t say enough.”
Bear said the fire is not expected to impact church activities or its regularly scheduled Sunday service.
“We are very blessed,” added the pastor.
Contact Keith Stewart at [email protected] or 217-347-7151, ext. 132.
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