6 evacuated from abandoned Kitchener church while firefighters extinguish blaze

A fire at the abandoned Trinity Church in downtown Kitchener could have been fatal if not for the actions of members of the Kitchener Fire Department.

At around 1:30 a.m., firefighters, along with Waterloo Regional Police officers, were called to the scene for a fire at what they thought was an empty church at 74 Frederick St.

Upon arrival, police say they saw heavy smoke and flames coming from the rear of the church.

READ MORE: Udo Haan charged with murder, arson in connection to Kitchener home explosion

“Part way through the fire they had to move out six homeless people they found in there,” Rick Brooks, fire prevention officer, said.

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He went on to say that crews did not discover the people inside the church until after they had started battling the blaze. Brooks believes they may have been the cause of the fire.

“We think it was started by the homeless people in there trying to stay warm,” he explained.

Brooks believes homeless people had started fires in the church to keep warm in the past but this one had gotten out of control.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and also prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings.

Brooks said fire crews are remaining on scene to keep an eye out for flare-ups.

READ MORE: Early morning blaze in Kitchener being investigated as suspicious

Police estimated the damage to the church to be $100,000 although the church is being torn down to make way for a 33-storey condo building.

Employees of Sittler demolition,  the company which is currently excavating the building, told Brooks that homeless people were constantly using it for shelter.

“I talked to Sittler Demolition and they have had to chase as many as 30 people out of there in the past,” he said.

Brooks said the Kitchener Fire Department is worried about people camping out in these buildings because they may not have alarms and are not up to code. Plus, fire crews are not on the lookout for anyone inside as they are presumed empty.

“It’s dangerous for us to have to go back in and look,” he said.