The Pace Fire Department responded to a fire at Immanuel Baptist Church last week in a building outside of the main church.
A staff member reported the fire to authorities.
Pace Fire Chief Donnie Wadkins said he was the first to arrive. He saw heavy smoke coming from the building. There was a truck parked in front of the building, leaving Wadkins to believe there might be someone inside.
"We did a search to make sure no one was inside," Wadkins said. "I sent three firefighters inside."
The Chief said he lost contact with his men and sent two additional men in to check on their condition. All five came out safely. There turned out to be no civilians in the building.
As the Pace firefighters were checking the building, Wadkins said he called for more manpower. By the time he had done so, there were firefighters there from Pace, Avalon, Skyline, Milton City Fire Department, Bagdad and Ferry Pass. This caused Allentown and NAS Whiting Field Fire Departments to cover for the fire departments assisting in Pace.
Fighting a fire in a mobile home structure can be difficult because the roof is "flimsy" and firefighters might fall through, Wadkins said, having enough manpower to approach the fire correctly becomes even more important.
Wadkins said the building is totaled. The State Fire Marshal's Office sent an investigator to the scene, however the cause of the fire has not yet been determined. No one was injured.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Fire strikes Immanuel Baptist Church Sunday school building