On Monday, firefighters were dispatched to 14425 Church St. at about 12:45 p.m. to find the steeple of Fellowship Bible Baptist Church ablaze.
It was a gorgeous day against the commonly drab weather that Northwestern PA brings this time of year. A Wattsburg woman enjoying her lunch smells smoke, and at first, thinks nothing of it. Soon she gets concerned and looks outside, only to see the steeple of Fellowship Bible Baptist Church burning like an altar candle.
Firefighters from eight separate departments combined resources to extinguish the blaze. Corry Regional Fire Co. was among the eight departments at the scene. The crew from Corry was serving as the Rapid Intervention Team (RIT). At most fires, a small crew is designated as RITs on standby to intervene in case their fellow firefighters are injured or trapped within the burn. This protocol was in place at the church fire but, luckily, did not have to be put into action.
Since Wattsburg is such a small town, the water tower that supplies the town only holds about 100,000 gallons. This might seem like a lot but think about how quickly you might use water in your own home. To control the blazing steeple, firefighters had to set a water supply about a mile away at a natural pond to conserve water for the people of Wattsburg.
Since heat rises and fire spreads effortlessly upwards, only the top of the steeple was damaged by the blaze. This damage included the supports of a century-old bell; somehow, the one-ton bell held on to the charred supports and did not fall through the ceiling, instead, it only sank a few inches. The front of the church building along with the sanctuary sustained some water damage from the constant pressure of the firefighters’ hoses. This water damage was necessary to control the inferno.
Fellowship Bible’s pastor, Tony Hess, is grateful that only the steeple of the church was severely damaged and not the main sanctuary. Despite hard times for him and his congregation, he plans to continue to preach and hold service in the church’s nearby educational building.
The cause of the fire is still unknown but is being investigated. No injuries were reported.
