By Harold McNeil
The Buffalo News
FREDONIA, N.Y. — Firefighters responded Friday evening to a fire in Family Church Fredonia at 19 Church St. in the Village of Fredonia.
The fire started about 6:38 p.m. Friday, and was battled by the Fredonia Fire Department, according to Asst. Fire Chief Kurt Maytum.
Scott Wise, assistant pastor of the Family Church of Fredonia, said he got a call that there was a fire.
“It grew in intensity real quick. When I left my house, I could see it. But I could only see smoke at that point. But when I got here, the clock tower was pretty well engulfed in flames,” Wise said.
Maytum said that the blaze started as a single-company alarm, then went to a second alarm for mutual assistance, which included Dunkirk City Fire Department and fire departments from the Town of Dunkirk, Cassadaga and Brocton. He said the Chautauqua County Fire Police blocked the road.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, Maytum said. The fire started in the attic area, Maytum said.
The fire was extinguished Friday night.
Wise, the assistant pastor, said they had owned the church since 2015. They just moved in last year, and had finished a $1.3 million renovation of the building. Wise said they had been raising funds for the clock tower.
“Our church members have funded the renovation so far, but we wanted to reach out to the community for the clock tower,” Wise said.
The 18,000-square-foot church is 165 years old, Wise said.
Wise said the tower’s clock was originally intended for the Village Hall across the street, but did not fit, and so it was installed in the church tower. There had been an agreement that the village would maintain the clock, Wise said.
“It could have been so much worse. We’re thankful no one was hurt,” Wise said. “The damage was to places that we wanted to restore.”
“We’re people of faith. The Bible tells us to be joyful in all circumstances. We’ll rebuild it better than it was,” Wise said.
Copyright 2018 The Buffalo News