Fire contained at downtown Charleston church
- A fire broke out at a downtown Charleston church but was quickly contained. - No injuries were reported from the incident. - Firefighters responded swiftly to prevent further damage. patch.com
Firefighters brought a church fire on Charleston’s peninsula under control within 25 minutes Saturday night, and no injuries were reported. (counton2.com) The Charleston County Consolidated Emergency Communication Center received reports of a possible commercial structure fire just after 7 p.m. on April 18 at a single-story church in the 1300 block of Rutledge Avenue. Emergency crews arrived within three minutes of dispatch, according to the Charleston Fire Department. (counton2.com) The building was identified by local television stations as People of Color Evangelistic Church. Firefighters entered the church, searched for occupants, and confirmed it was empty while crews attacked the fire. (abcnews4.com) Investigators from the Charleston Fire Department’s Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire started in the kitchen area. As of reports published April 19, the exact cause was still under investigation. (counton2.com) The response drew help from more than one department. Agencies from Charleston, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant responded alongside Charleston County Emergency Medical Services and the Charleston Police Department, according to ABC News 4. (abcnews4.com) The church sits on Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston, where closely spaced buildings can raise the risk that a structure fire spreads beyond the first address. The Charleston Fire Department said crews reported smoke venting from the church when they arrived, but the fire was contained before it spread further. (postandcourier.com) Public business listings identify People of Color Evangelistic Church at 1328 Rutledge Ave. That address matches the 1300 block location reported by local news outlets covering the fire. (411.info, postandcourier.com) By Sunday morning, local outlets reported the same bottom line from fire officials: the blaze was contained, the church was unoccupied, and no one was hurt. The next public step is the fire marshal’s determination of what ignited the kitchen fire. (abcnews4.com)
