A Dallas church stands in ruin following a blaze.
The Dallas Indian Revival Center church sustained heavy damage in the wake of a fire on Wednesday afternoon. Officials have ruled the cause of the June 7 fire as “accidental.”
Dallas Fire-Rescue responded to reports of a fire around 5:30 p.m. at the southwestern Dallas church, located at Ivanhoe Lane and Pollard Street, and arrived to find a heavy amount of smoke emanating from the roof of the building, according to WFAA.
First responders were able to put out the blaze by just after 7 p.m. Overhead footage of the event captured firefighters blasting jets of water into the destroyed building. A great deal of smoke rising from the interior of the building can be seen in the footage, with the roof almost entirely collapsed inward.
Oh my, another church on fire in #USA
Dallas, Texas, Happening Now: A church is on fire on Ivanhoe Lane in West Dallas. It is listed as the Dallas Indian Revival Center online. pic.twitter.com/vPP98AopGO— Fitz Chivalry (@FitzChivalry14) June 8, 2023
No injuries occurred as a result of the fire. Workers had been on the roof when it ignited, but they were able to descend safely to the ground.
Officials believe that the fire was accidentally caused by one of these workers who had allegedly been carrying a torch that ignited “combustible materials” on the roof, reported The Dallas Morning News.
Pastor Patrick Osage told WFAA that many in the local community had grown up attending this church.
“God is still working … it’s a little rough road for the church, but the church will gather and grow, we’ll rebuild, and Dallas will still have this church to come to,” said Osage, according to WFAA.
Greg Smithson, a deacon of the church who has been a member for roughly two decades, told WFAA that he was thankful none of the congregation had been hurt.
“This is a setback but it’s not gonna stop us from glorifying God,” said Smithson, according to WFAA.
The 60-year-old building is considered a total loss, said officials, per WFAA.
Pastor Osage reflected on the strength of the community, noting that they will gather together on Sunday at 11 a.m. in the place where the building once stood.
“The building is just a building. The church is the people who gather here to praise God, fellowship together and help each other out in times of need,” said Osage, per NBC DFW.
