A fire overnight destroyed the Wyandotte Tabernacle Church building, 1229 S. 59th St., in the Turner area of Kansas City, Kansas.
Pastor Mark Sanders said it is a total loss for the church building.
Fire investigators are looking into the cause of the fire, and Pastor Sanders said the cause might be electrical. The church was built around 1970.
According to a social media post by the police chief, a passerby saw flames coming from the basement of the church and called the Fire Department. When firefighters arrived, the church was completely engulfed in flames.
A Fire Department spokesman stated the fire call came in at 1:50 a.m. Sunday. Crews saw heavy flames venting from the roof of the structure and initiated an attack on the fire, the spokesman stated.
There was a partial collapse of the roof and crews went into a defensive mode, the spokesman stated. Additional crews were called in to assist.
There were minor injuries to two firefighters, who were taken to the hospital, the spokesman stated. The fire is still under investigation, according to the spokesman.
Wyandotte Tabernacle Church has a food pantry once a month, on the first Saturday, that serves 800 to 950 people, Pastor Sanders said.
While the church building is destroyed, the church has a separate activity and youth building still standing at the same location.
Is that why 59th street is shut down currently? anyone know for how long….it’s a real pain. thanks, mp