Electrical Motor in Furnace of Cornerstone Church Causes Morning Fire

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Fire crews found heavy smoke showing from both ends of the attic upon arrival at approximaely 10:15 am on December 24, 2011. The fire had already spread throughout most of the attic originating from an area in the Southeast corner of the building. There was noone in the building when the blaze started.

Twelve Tulsa fire cews fought the fire for over an hour before bringing it under control. First in crews searched the church to make sure nobody was inside while beginning an interior attack on the fire. After making considerable headway on the fire the original water supply failed, the secondary supply line was being laid from a hydrant about three blocks away and took a few minutes to hook up. The incident commander pulled the interior crews back for saftey reasons until the water supply was reestablished, and the crews could operate safely inside again.

The Fire Investigator on scene has not determined the exact cause of the fire yet. It is being listed as accidental since the investigator has yet to find any evidence that would cause him to cosider this a suspicious fire, he will continue to investigate so an exact cause can be determined. The  60 year old church building is being considered a total loss.

For more information contact Public Information Officer Stan May at 918-344-6819 or TFDNews@cityoftulsa.org.

UPDATE:

The Fire Marshal's Office has released the official cause of the fire at the Cornerstone Church. The fire was classified accidental, caused by the electrical motor in the furnace seizing up. The furnace was located in the southeast corner of the structure.



Author:Tulsa Fire Department Press Release