Dallas Fire-Rescue units responded to a fire at Iglesia Adventista Church on Tuesday afternoon, March 26, leading to a temporary closure of runways at Dallas Love Field.
Firefighters arrived at the vacant two-story church at 7715 Denton Dr. around 1:18 p.m. after receiving 911 calls reporting a structure fire. Upon arrival near Denton Drive and Bombay Avenue, they reported heavy smoke coming from the building. Initial attempts to handle the fire from inside were made, but firefighters were forced to pull back due to intense heat.
Once outside, firefighters noticed fire coming through the windows and through the roof. A second alarm for additional crews was requested and all firefighters were ordered to evacuate the building for defensive operations.
A third alarm was later requested, resulting in approximately 70 firefighters surrounding and drowning the fire with hand lines, master streams and aerial ladders. For about three hours, they worked on extinguishing the fire and around 4:33 p.m., declared an “out taps” after about 3 hours after the initial call.
The fire began in the main sanctuary and spread throughout the building, according to investigators. Once the fire made its way through the roof, the flames spread to a separate building behind the church.
The building has been vacant for “many years” and is often frequented by homeless individuals, though none were present during the fire, according to witnesses and a church representative.
Due to extensive damage and structural instability, authorities ordered the demolition of the main sanctuary. Investigators were unable to determine the cause of the fire or establish an ignition sequence due to the circumstances and collapse.
Obadiah Knight Elementary School, located in the same block, was evacuated during the incident but remained unaffected, a Dallas ISD spokesperson told WFAA.
The Dallas Love Field runways near the fire resumed activity around 3 p.m., according to CBS News.
The cause of the fire remains undetermined, with no reported injuries.
