Durham firefighters investigating blaze that destroyed abandoned church near downtown
The Durham Fire Department is investigating a blaze that reduced an abandoned church to rubble near downtown Thursday morning.
The fire partially collapsed the large brick building, which is owned by the Durham Rescue Mission. It is located on the southwest corner of East Main and South Holman streets.
Deputy Fire Chief Chris Ianuzzi said they received a 911 call about the fire at 7:52 a.m.. Twenty units responded, but the fire was already well underway.
“It was too dangerous to make entry,” Ianuzzi said, noting that several walls collapsed while firefighters were on scene.
“Once the wood framing goes up, the brick has nothing to hold it up,” he said.
Earl Jones, who lives nearby, said he saw the smoke around 8 a.m.
“It was a huge plume of black smoke,” he said. “It’s already given me a raspy, bad feeling in the throat.”
The church had been abandoned and boarded up for many years, Jones said. He said he never saw people going inside.
Durham Rescue Mission purchase
Property records show the church was built in 1940. The Durham Rescue Mission bought it for $1.7 million in December. They own housing across the street.
A neighborhood meeting was held just this past Monday to provide information about a rezoning request for the 2.4 acre parcel.
The nonprofit is considering building retail and warehouse space and additional parking on the property.
Ianuzzi said the cause of Thursday morning’s fire wasn’t immediately clear. He said the fire department would work with the Durham Police Department and the State Bureau of Investigation.
