Fire destroys Claremore church
By STAFF REPORTS on Jul 21, 2013, at 1:02 AM Updated on 7/21/13 at 12:40 PM
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CLAREMORE - Firefighters worked late Saturday and into Sunday morning to extinguish a major fire that destroyed Christ Presbyterian Church.
The church is at 310 N. Weenonah Ave.
Claremore Fire Chief Sean Douglas said they got the call about 10 p.m. In addition to the Claremore Fire Department, about a dozen agencies responded, including Catoosa, Limestone, Verdigris and Foyil.
Douglas said the cause of the fire was not immediately known. He said it may be awhile before investigators can determine the cause, because part of the building had collapsed and other parts were in danger of collapsing.
He said no nearby buildings were in danger.
One member of the Claremore Fire Department was treated for heat exhaustion, Douglas said.
The huge fire drew crowds of onlookers, and Claremore police and Rogers County Sheriff's officers were on the scene trying to keep traffic under control late Saturday night.
Claremore firefighters and other authorities continued to monitor the site for hot spots Sunday morning and had begun the demolition process. The church’s tower was about three stories tall.
“That’s what everyone was still worried about,” Douglas said Sunday morning. “Hoping the walls wouldn’t fall out into the street.”
Douglas said the building burned quickly from the inside, as is the case with many old structures. Douglas, and others at the scene, said they were unsure of the exact date the building was constructed but estimated that it was probably in the early 1900s.
Latest News
An investigation into a Tulsa dentist has revealed that one person contracted hepatitis C as a result of a visit to that practice, according to the Oklahoma State Department of Health and Tulsa Health Department.
The bus had two occupants, a driver and an 8-year-old girl. The driver had a suspended license, police said.
