Witness Michael Butcher said the fire appeared to have started within the roof of Kamloops United Church on Aug. 13, 2024.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
August 13, 2024 - 10:49 AM
Kamloops firefighters rushed to the scene within minutes of a fire at a downtown church Tuesday morning.
Several fire trucks were at the scene before 10 a.m., Aug. 13, where flames could be scene on the roof of the Kamloops United Church at 421 St. Paul Street.
Michael Butcher works nearby and called in the fire when he saw smoke billowing from the building, but there were no visible flames yet when he went to warn the four people inside of the fire.
They could hear the alarm, but the fire wasn't obvious from the inside, he said. That was until they left and the fire, which appeared to be within the roof, broke through the top and the down to the floor, Butcher said.
"I think it was near the ventilation in the roof because we saw white smoke, then as soon as it popped through the roof it fell through," he said.
Butcher said he saw no suspicious signs that it was set intentionally, mostly because it appeared to start within the roof while people were inside the church.
Witness Michael Butcher said the fire appeared to have started within the roof of Kamloops United Church on Aug. 13, 2024.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED
He added that he was impressed to see multiple fire engines get to the scene within two minutes of the call and start dousing the building immediately.
Police continue to block the scene and firefighters are still working on the fire, but Kamloops Fire Rescue said on social media the fire was knocked down just before 10:30 a.m.
Deputy fire chief Ryan Cail was not able to immediately comment on the fire.
— With files from Levi Landry
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