EDMONTON – A Wetaskiwin church which served as a valuable community resource in addition to being a place of worship was destroyed by an early morning fire Tuesday.
About 30 firefighters from Wetaskiwin, Camrose and Millet battled the blaze at Wetaskiwin First United Church, which began around 5 a.m. and continued to burn throughout the morning.
Thick black smoke forced fire crews to evacuate a block of houses west of the church and surrounding businesses were forced to close for the day when they lost power.
According to Wetaskiwin deputy fire chief Mike Zajac, the fire started on the east side of the building.
No one was in the church at the time, and there were no injuries.
Much of the structure was built of cedar, Zajac said.
That, and the fact the pews were made of oak, helped the fire burn, he said.
The minister of the church, Ruth Lumax, said the church was built in the 1960s and was a valuable community resource for local Girl Guides, Boy Scouts and other community groups.
Choir director Paul Sweet, meanwhile, said music played a big part in the church, which featured a Petrof grand piano.
Sweet also said that a new stage was built last spring.
“It’s the sickest feeling I’ve ever had,” said Sweet of the news of the fire.
“My heart sank.
“I don’t know what to think other than a sick empty feeling.”
Zajac said the damage estimate won’t be available until Wednesday, nor will the cause of the fire.
Wetaskiwin is about 70 kilometres south of Edmonton.
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