A devastating fire ripped through a historic Texas megachurch on Friday night, destroying the red brick chapel built in 1890.
The fire began just after 6 p.m. in the Historic Sanctuary, the second chapel of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, which is located between the church’s larger chapels.
Dallas Fire-Rescue said the building partially collapsed just after 7:30 p.m., according to local reports.
It took 60 fire engines to extinguish the four-alarm blaze by 9:30pm, by which point the chapel had “almost collapsed.” No injuries were reported and the cause remains under investigation.
“We are thankful that no one was injured today and we thank the emergency responders who helped extinguish the fire in our historic sanctuary,” First Baptist Church pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress posted on X on Friday night.
“They’re continuing to work, but the main fire is out,” he added. “Either way, we’re going to be gathering at church this Sunday.”
Jeffries told Fox 4 News he left the church shortly before he was informed of the fire.
A week-long vacation Bible school for 2,000 children between the ages of 3 and 12 had just concluded earlier in the day. “The kids have all gone home,” the pastor said, adding, “I’m grateful that our church is made up of people, not bricks and mortar and wood.”
The chapel was the main place of worship for the congregation until 12 years ago when it was moved to one of the larger centres on the church grounds.
“I have a lot of memories at this church,” said Jeffries, who said he was baptized there when he was 6 years old. Jeffries has led the church since 2007.
O.S. Hawkins, author and former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Shared photos Located in the X in the historic stained glass sanctuary from before the fire.
“Our hearts are broken to know that we will never again sit in this pew or stand at the pulpit in this historic church,” he wrote, but expressed gratitude to the thousands of people who have visited the church over its 130-plus years.
Smoke filled the night sky and could be seen as far as White Rock Lake, six miles northeast of Dallas. The Dallas Morning News reported. Onlookers said they felt the heat of the flames from half a block away.
