wfn.org | Fire destroys diocesan offices in West Tennessee

[ENS@ecunet.org]

2000-137

http://www.ecusa.anglican.org

Fire destroys diocesan offices in West Tennessee

     (ENS) A 100-year-old building that served as the offices of the Episcopal 
Diocese of West Tennessee in Memphis was destroyed in a two-alarm fire on August 
24.

     No one was injured in the afternoon blaze. Nearly 90 firefighters on the 
scene successfully kept the fire from spreading to St. Mary's Cathedral, next 
door to the three-story diocesan offices. The fire was under control within 90 
minutes.

     The stone building, which once served as the bishop's residence, was under 
renovation. Workers were in the process of removing paint from exterior windows 
with blowtorches as well as scrapers. A spokesman for the Memphis Fire Department 
said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

     The Rev. Jeffery Marx, canon at the cathedral, noticed smoke in his office 
in the afternoon. He turned off his computer and left the building with 
colleagues. They watched the fire spread, causing the collapse of the roof in the 
rear of the building.

     Firefighters were able, however, to stop the fire from spreading to the 
cathedral, although it was obvious there would be considerable damage from water 
and smoke.

     "This is a real emotional time," said Dean C.B. Baker of the cathedral. 
"Everything is gone. Books, notes, financial records, sermon materials--
everything," he said in an interview with a local newspaper. "I'm just glad 
everyone was okay. All those things can be replaced--but not really."

     At first the firefighters found only smoke on the second floor but flames 
erupted when they opened a door on the third floor. Hand-held hoses were not 
sufficient to extinguish the flames growing in the walls, ceiling and attic.

     Firefighters worked with church staff to remove items from the building, 
hoping to preserve some of the historic items.

     The cathedral, the oldest Episcopal cathedral in the South had just 
completed a $650,000 renovation.

     "This is really bad for us," said Marx, but "in terms of what we're about 
here and what we're trying to continue, this won't stop us." 

--This story is based on accounts from the Commercial Appeal newspaper in 
Memphis.