What we know: Fire breaks out at First Baptist Church of Dallas

A fire broke out early Friday evening at the historic First Baptist Dallas church downtown.

Initially, 40 Dallas Fire and Rescue units responded. More than an hour later, a third alarm was called in, and flames could be seen breaking through the roof of part of the church. And around 8 p.m., nearly 60 units were responding to the fire.

A Dallas Fire-Rescue spokesperson said there had been a partial collapse of the structure after 7:30 p.m.

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As of 8:50 p.m., smoke in the surrounding area had decreased significantly, according to reporters on the scene. After 9:30 p.m., the spokesperson said the fire had been “knocked down and contained” and the structure had “largely” collapsed.

Here’s what we know so far:

Where was the fire?

At 6:05 p.m., Dallas Fire-Rescue was called to the building 1717 San Jacinto Street in downtown Dallas, fire Capt. Robert Borse said in a statement. The fire was in the secondary chapel of the downtown megachurch, which has more than 16,000 members.

In a later statement, Borse confirmed that the structure involved is the secondary chapel of the historic First Baptist Dallas church. The red-brick building was built in 1890.

Images of the secondary chapel on Friday showed it engulfed in flames.

Around 6:40 p.m., about 40 first responder units were called to respond to the fire, Borse said.

Was anyone hurt in the church fire?

Borse said no injuries have been reported so far.

Ben Lovvorn, executive pastor of First Baptist Dallas, told The Dallas Morning News that no injuries had been reported. He said he was one of the last people in the building.

First Baptist Dallas officials expressed their gratitude Friday night.

“We are grateful that no life has been lost that we know of even though we just had 2,000 children and volunteers on campus for Vacation Bible School,” said Robert Jeffress, the church’s senior pastor, in a statement late Friday.

How did the fire First Baptist Dallas start?

It’s too early to say how the fire started.

One resident who lives several blocks away said she heard a “boom” loud enough to rattle her windows. But Borse said first responders could not confirm whether there was a “boom” when the fire broke out. Two other people who were near the church said they did not hear a boom.

Lovvorn said he believed the fire started shortly after 6 p.m. But added he did not yet know the cause.

Officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the church Saturday. They were not conducting their own investigation, but assisting the Dallas fire department and helping process the scene, said ATF Dallas spokesperson Sara Abel. “A lot of the time, we get called in to just assist, and that’s where we are at this point,” Abel said.

How has the fire developed?

The fire worsened after first responders were called around 6 p.m. Dark gray smoke continued to fill the sky above the chapel and church. The building erupted into flames around 7:30 p.m.

Onlookers said they could feel heat coming from the building from about half a block away.

At its peak, smoke from the fire was visible throughout the city, including from as far as White Rock Lake in northeast Dallas.

While Borse said the fire has now been “contained”, he added that first responders will remain at the site to put out “all lingering areas of fire.”

Most firefighting operations began to shut down between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. Saturday, said Borse. Overhaul companies, which search for and extinguish any remaining fire after the main flames have been put out, “have been on scene throughout the night and remain currently to ensure ... safety on scene and to continue extinguishing hot spots,” he said.

What does it mean when DFR calls for a ‘fourth alarm’?

Dallas Fire-Rescue first classified the fire as a second-alarm fire but upgraded it to a third-alarm at 7:25 p.m. This means that the fire calls for a larger response including four fire engines, three trucks and two rescues, Borse said. First responders requested a fourth-alarm around 8:15 p.m.

The higher the alarm, the more difficult the fire is to put out. A fifth-alarm fire is typically the highest alarm level for a fire.

What has First Baptist said about the fire?

Around 8 p.m., the church posted to its Facebook page, saying that “no one is hurt or injured.” The post asked members to pray for the church.

“As tragic as the loss of this old sanctuary is, we are grateful that the church is not bricks and wood but composed of over 16,000 people who are determined more than ever before to reach the world for the gospel of Christ. Please pray for all of First Baptist Dallas,” Jeffress said in his statement Friday night.

In a Facebook post late Friday, church representatives said they still intend to host services this Sunday: “We continue to praise God for His hand of protection on our church. We are grateful that no one was injured today and are thankful for the first responders who helped contain the fire to our Historic Sanctuary. They continue working but the primary fire has been extinguished. One way or another, we intend to meet for church this Sunday. More details to follow. We hope to see you there.”

What do we know about First Baptist’s Sunday service?

In the aftermath of the fire, First Baptist Dallas will hold its Sunday service at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center at 11 a.m. and stream the program online. The church said child care will not be available, adding that “families will worship together.”

The church said the service will be streamed on Facebook, YouTube and icampus.firstdallas.org.

“Our church is not a building,” Lovvorn said Saturday morning. “It’s not bricks and mortar. It’s the people, and we’re going to come together and we’re going to worship together.”