A roofer's propane torch is to blame for a huge fire that badly damaged an historic Chicago church building dating back to the 1880s, according to the Chicago Fire Department. The Chicago Fire Department said the fire began on the roof as repair work was being completed. The fire is being classified as an accident.
The fire began at about 2:15 pm on Friday, April 15, just a few hours after Good Friday services had wrapped up at Antioch Missionary Baptist Church. It took about 90 minutes for firefighters to bring the fire under control, but the building’s truss roof had collapsed, causing extensive damage to the rest of the facility. The fire briefly reignited Saturday morning, but was extinguished again without further damage.
No one was injured in the fire, but the church building, described as an “anchor of the community” suffered massive damage.
Greg Zimmerman is editor, FacilitiesNet.com and Building Operating Management.
