Fire Destroys Historic Downtown Building
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A devastating fire in downtown Jackson has destroyed the old First Baptist Church located at 415 East Lafayette Street. Witnesses tell us they first saw smoke and flames on the roof of the building between 11:00 and 11:30 a.m. Work crews were reportedly on the roof of the church just before the fire started. However, no exact cause has been released, as of early this afternoon. There have been no reports of injury. Shortly after arriving on the scene, firefighters went on defensive mode as they tried to protect the adjacent buildings. The flames were fueled by wind gusts of up to 30 miles per hour. The Wolfe Communications building, located southeast of the church and across East Main Street, also caught fire. Initially it appeared only the front facade was damaged.
