Upper Columbia Conference... inflames

[Stan]

SPOKANE -- Firefighters are working to extinguish a fire that has destroyed a portion of the Upper Columbia Conference Seventh Day Adventist Church near Interstate 90 on the West Plains.

Firefighters say the fire started in the church's bookstore and started to spread to the rest of the building. The bookstore manager learned of the fire when his wife, who is a firefighter, was dispatched to the scene.

Heavy smoke could be seen coming from the building when fire crews first arrived. Firefighters are having a hard time with the fast moving fire, they say it's spreading through the rafters to other areas of the church.

Crews on scene say two-thirds of the church are now on fire and smoke can be seen coming from the vents in the final third of the church.

The church's property manager told KXLY that he's afraid they'll lose the entire structure to the fire. The Upper Columbia Conference Church is located at 3715 S. Grove Road.

Source

[Stan]

Questions come to mind..

1- When was the last time my conference did an offsite back up

2- Is our insurance what it should be? or are estimates outdated?

3- It looks like no injuries are reported, Thank you Jesus..

[Stan]

typos in emails always show up after the last one is sent...

I feel for the workers there, some would have lost years work of work..

[DavidT]

This news release gives some wrong info. What's on fire is the UCC office, not a church. I was there this morning and indeed at least half if not 2/3 of it was burned to the ground at the time. The firefighters were attempting to firewall the rest of the building on the west side. It's been about 2 hours since I was there, so not sure if they were successful.

[Morning Glory]

Thanks for the clarification.......it is a tragedy either way. Friends of ours used to work in that building.......they gave us a "tour" during our visit many years ago. I am so sad to know that is has sustained such devastating damage.....

May God's blessing attend those good folks who work so hard for the conference and Him in that area.

My prayers are with them.

Morning Glory

PS Remembering another thread, this sounds a bit trite and superficial. I do not mean it to be that way.

[Likethebirds]

In reading the news article I was wondering the same thing. Having once been an employee of the UCC I don't remember there being a church at that address and the picture looked like the front entrance to the Conference Office.

I'm thinking like you, Stan. I wonder if they had a recent, offsite backup of their data?

--delwin

[Stan]

Flames destroy a Seventh-Day Adventist center

11:51 AM PST on Sunday, December 28, 2008

KREM.com

Fire engulfs building

Firefighters are still trying to contain a fire at the Upper Columbia Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist.

At least half of the Airway Heights building is destroyed at 3715 S. Grove.

Paul Koehnke, KREM 2 News

Flames destroyed church offices in Airway Heights.

The fire was reported around 5 a.m. When fire crews arrived flames were coming from the building.

The building is mainly used for church offices and as a book store.

Nobody was hurt and investigators do not know what caused the fire. Source

[Likethebirds]

That picture certainly doesn't look good.

[Likethebirds]

Link to a Flickr Photostream of the fire. http://www.flickr.com/photos/designerbrent/sets/72157611751595181/

[Stan]

Wonder if they had spinklers?

[Marie]

Likethebirds, those were really some pictures. It truly is a shame to hear of these fires. I wonder if someone is setting them or if God is trying to tell us as a church...something. Marie

[Woody]

I would place the blame on either the Devil or accident ... rather than God.

[Taylor]

I would place the blame on either the Devil or accident ... rather than God.

I second that.

[phkrause]

I third that.

pk

[Gail]

Well, thinking about how old and decrepit our own building is here, I can't help but feeling just a tad envious.

We've been trying to get a new building for YEARS.