Two fires destroyed a church, house, and restaurant near downtown McKinney Monday morning.
The fire at the 500 block of Wilcox Street, which officials say is currently being investigated, was called in just after midnight on October 24. Firefighters from the McKinney Fire Department (MFD) found the blaze at the rear of New Outreach Church of God in Christ.
“I went out and the south corner of the church was on fire,” Rodney McDaniel told WFAA. “The wind was [sic] blowing extremely hard and it was pushing everything to the north.”
While battling the fire, MFD was called to another fire just blocks away at the Chicken Express on South McDonald Street.
“We appreciate the assistance from Allen, Fairview and Plano, Anna, Lowry Crossing and Westminster,” the MFD tweeted about the incident, sharing a video of the blaze.
McKinney firefighters working a big fire near downtown overnight. It destroyed a church on Wilcox, and a home and a restaurant on N McDonald. More information coming. We appreciate the assistance from Allen, Fairview and Plano, Anna, Lowry Crossing and Westminster. pic.twitter.com/GRyVjjeRcT
— mckinneyfire (@mckinneytxfire) October 24, 2022
No injuries were reported, and investigators are trying to determine the cause of the fires and if they were connected in some way.
“This was a very intense fire that took a huge number of resources and hours of hard work to extinguish,” McKinney Fire Chief Danny Kistner said in a press release. “As always, the most important thing is the safety of the residents and our firefighters.”
A resident was evacuated from his home, which also caught fire, officials noted, and other homes in the general vicinity were also evacuated as a precaution.
Christian Tapia, whose home sits between the Chicken Express and the church, explained that “I grabbed my wife and my kid, and I got them out of the house as fast as I could.”
All three structures affected by the fire were burned to the ground, according to officials.
