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Modified 25-Dec-24
Created 14-Oct-24
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On Monday morning, October 14, 2024, around 0945 hours smoke was observed coming from the Saint Paul Praise and Worship Center located at 503 Reisterstown Road in Pikesville. 9-1-1 was called by local citizens in the area and Fire Box 2-20 was dispatched. First arriving units reported smoke showing from the 150 year-old two-story wood frame church and requested a working fire assignment. Firefighters gained entry into the front doors and located fire within the interior walls. Multiple handlines and supply lines were deployed at the scene. Crews initiated an interior attack and began opening up the walls to find and extinguish the fire. Luckily the doors to the main worship area were closed preventing smoke and fire from damaging the sanctuary. However, due to heavy gusty winds on that day the fire continued to travel upward through the walls and into the steeple at the front of the church. Within minutes heavy fire and smoke was showing from the roof atop of the steeple.
Firefighters were able to knock down the fire with a ladder pipe on the side as well as hand lines from the ground. Tower 32 from Pikesville Volunteers and Truck 13 from Westview were positioned in front of the structure and were quickly able to knock down most of the visible fire. For the next hour crews were able to break into the walls and roof of the steeple with chain saws and axes to locate and extinguish any hidden pockets of fire within the steeple. They were able to contain and extinguish all of the fire preventing any severe damage or collapse of the steeple.
The fire was placed under control at 1124 hours. Baltimore County Fire Investigators along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms were on the scene and later determined that the fire was the result of an electrical junction box that had overheated. No one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries reported.
Firefighters were able to knock down the fire with a ladder pipe on the side as well as hand lines from the ground. Tower 32 from Pikesville Volunteers and Truck 13 from Westview were positioned in front of the structure and were quickly able to knock down most of the visible fire. For the next hour crews were able to break into the walls and roof of the steeple with chain saws and axes to locate and extinguish any hidden pockets of fire within the steeple. They were able to contain and extinguish all of the fire preventing any severe damage or collapse of the steeple.
The fire was placed under control at 1124 hours. Baltimore County Fire Investigators along with agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms were on the scene and later determined that the fire was the result of an electrical junction box that had overheated. No one was in the building at the time and there were no injuries reported.
© Howard Meile III