The fire was reported around 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 23, 2018 after a powerful thunderstorm rolled through Greater Boston, downing power lines. The fire started after lightning apparently struck the roof, said Michael Sullivan, the town’s fire chief.
“It appears to have struck the front of the church somewhere in the steeple area,’’ Sullivan said. “It really wasn’t showing a lot of fire [initially], but it broke out very shortly after we arrived.”
Once the fire reached the empty space between the ceiling and roof “there was no stopping it,” he said. The fire caused an estimated $1 million in damage, he said.
In a statement, church officials expressed gratitude that no parishioners were hurt and thanked firefighters for battling the seven-alarm blaze. Extract from report by Jeremy C. Fox October 24, 2018.
Wakefield’s Interfaith Clergy Association is holding a service of prayer, remembrance, and reflection on Thursday, October 25 at 7:00 p.m. The prayer service, following the devastating fire that consumed the landmark First Baptist Church, will be held at the neighboring Emmanuel Episcopal Church on the corner of Main and Bryant streets across from the Veterans Memorial Common. Members of all congregations as well as the wider community are invited to attend. Guests are asked to use the entrance to the church on Bryant Street.
The Thursday evening service will include music, opportunities to share reflections, and prayers that seek to lift up the community in a time of need. It will likewise include opportunity to give thanks for the heroic efforts of the many first responders on the scene, from Wakefield and beyond. Their work and dedication ensured that no lives were lost and the fire was contained.
In addition to its regular Sunday morning services, First Baptist Church was home to the Tall Spire Preschool and the Shepherd’s Table Community Dinner ministry. The Wakefield Interfaith Food Pantry was also begun at First Baptist and housed there from 1982 to 2010. The Wakefield Interfaith Clergy Association is working with the Rev. Dr. Norman Bendroth, interim minister at First Baptist Church, to locate short and longer-term worship locations that will meet the needs of the congregation, as well as office and meeting space. The Clergy Association is planning an opportunity for larger shared worship in the weeks ahead. Update from the Community Prayer Service, FBC Wakefield by Mary Miller, Executive Minister.