Downtown Dallas church fire: The latest updates

DALLAS — Plumes of black smoke had been seen rising via the Downtown Dallas skyline Friday night.

Dallas Hearth Rescue (DFR) responded to a fourth-alarm hearth simply after 6 p.m. on the First Baptist Dallas Church at 1707 San Jacinto St. When firefighters arrived, they had been met with heavy smoke and instantly began attacking the blaze. Officers mentioned not less than 100 firefighters had been on scene for greater than three hours.

DFR confirmed to WFAA that the “construction concerned is the secondary chapel.” Chopper 8 captured the second when the spire toppled over as crews battled the flames.

Trip Bible College concluded within the historic sanctuary on Friday. It’s used for funerals, weddings, and auxiliary occasions that don’t require the principle sanctuary. 

Most firefighting operations started considerably shutting down between 2 a.m. and three a.m. Saturday morning, based on DFR. Overhaul corporations had been on scene all through Friday night time into Saturday morning to make sure security and to proceed extinguishing scorching spots, based on hearth officers.

DFR mentioned Friday night they believed the blaze began within the basement. Deacons instructed WFAA they worry the church’s library, beneath the historic sanctuary, has been misplaced. It held a majority of the church’s information, they mentioned.

Officers mentioned nobody was injured within the hearth.

In an replace Saturday, DFR mentioned that the constructing was inaccessible because of the lack of structural integrity. Extra drone footage was captured and a discover was issued to church representatives, DFR mentioned. The church shall be required to put in obstacles across the historic sanctuary, present 24-hour safety, and supply a structural engineers report inside 24 hours. If the construction is dominated unstable, then it will likely be demolished, hearth officers mentioned Saturday afternoon. DFR mentioned it should preserve a presence on scene till the structural integrity is set or the construction is demolished. 

DFR mentioned Saturday the fireplace was being categorized as undetermined, nonetheless, “we reserve the best to vary or complement this discovering primarily based on new or further data which can subsequently be decided.”

Pastor Robert Jeffress, who was elected pastor of First Baptist Dallas in August of 2007, spoke to reporters as firefighters continued to struggle the fireplace, and mentioned he had been baptized and ordained as a minister in that very church.

“I had simply left the church just a little bit after 6 p.m. after we bought phrase that the church was on hearth, our historic sanctuary,” Jeffress mentioned, emotional.

Jeffress grew up at First Baptist Dallas. He was baptized within the Historic Sanctuary at age 9, ordained there when he was 21, and holds many reminiscences of the church.

The constructing has been round since 1890, Jeffress mentioned and was the house of the church earlier than they moved into a brand new heart about 12 years in the past. 

“We had simply concluded trip bible faculty with over 2,000 children,” Jeffress mentioned. “They had been all gone. God has protected us via all of this.”

Jeffress mentioned they do not know the reason for the fireplace right now.

“I am grateful that the church isn’t bricks and mortar or wooden, it is folks,” he mentioned. “And the folks of God will endure. First Baptist Dallas will endure.”

He mentioned he is holding onto religion that they will salvage one thing. “We’re not going to let these flames have the ultimate say,” he mentioned. “Friday night time this place was engulfed in flames. Friday has handed. And on Sunday we will proclaim the ability of God.” 

Others gathered exterior of the fence arrange by DFR to see what was left of the church. 

Michael Burks grew up within the church. That is the place he additionally met and married his spouse. ” it now, I am undecided the way you’re in a position to restore it,” he mentioned. 

Moments earlier than talking with Jeffress, WFAA’s cameras captured the response to elements of the constructing collapsing:

Providers on Sunday shall be held on the Dallas Conference Heart. Reasonably than the standard three companies held onsite at First Baptist Dallas – together with a band-led worship service that was nonetheless being carried out within the historic sanctuary – there shall be one joint service at 11 a.m. CT, church officers mentioned in a message despatched to their congregation. The service shall be livestreamed at icampus.firstdallas.org.

“A technique or one other, we intend to satisfy for church this Sunday,” a church spokesperson instructed WFAA.

Residents from so far as Irving have reported with the ability to see the fireplace on the Dallas skyline.