Fire Damages South Jackson Church
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JACKSON, Tenn.–Fire damaged a church in south Jackson early Wednesday morning. Investigators believe a heating system may have caused the fire. Crews worked to put out flames at the Gospel Temple Holiness Church on Colorado Street. “They cut a hole in the roof with a chainsaw to try to let the fire escape from the top instead of going through the building,” said Pastor Darrin Theus. Theus got a phone call shortly after the fire sparked around 5 a.m. “Where some folks see things as tragedy, being who we are we see it as a blessing because God is still in control of it all,” Theus said. Theus says fire damaged the church fellowship hall and gymnasium. The buildings sustained thousands of dollars in smoke and water damage. “The sprinkler system had activated before we got here and had slowed the fire down, but with the double ceilings and all it was not able to extinguish it, and we had a tough time as well,” said Battalion Chief David Pruitt, with the Jackson Fire Department. Investigators say they believe a gas heating system inside the building may have started the fire. “People be careful with heaters and everything this time of year,” said Pruitt. Theus plans to meet with the church‘s insurance company. He says they will rebuild. “We will get it back to where it originally was and even better,” he said. No one was injured in the fire.
