A well-known Hazel Dell church was heavily damaged in a three-alarm fire early Wednesday morning.
When Clark County Fire District 6 was dispatched to a fire alarm at the First Congregational United Church of Christ, 1220 N.E. 68th St., just before 3 a.m., the agency sent one engine, spokesman Dave Schmitke said.
When the crew arrived and saw the flames, they immediately called for a third alarm, sending more resources from the fire agency as well as five engines from the Vancouver Fire Department to help, Schmitke said.
The church’s moderator, Ken Rowe, got the early-morning call from the alarm company and headed to the church.
“I was hoping it was a false alarm,” he said. “The minute I pulled into the driveway, I saw smoke. And for about a half an hour … all I saw was smoke.”
He watched as firefighters attacked the blaze, but shock set in when he saw the west steeple become engulfed in flames.
“I was thinking about all the parishioners who have put a lot of time and money into it and what they would think,” he said.
Several church members gathered as firefighters worked throughout the morning to extinguish all of the hot spots. Part of that work included using a boom truck to access the 120-foot-tall steeple, which still was smoking several hours after the flames were doused. Firefighters used a chain saw to cut holes in the steeple for ventilation and to access it with a hose.
The cause of the blaze will be investigated by the Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office. Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting with the investigation.
Church member Joan Blair said the church supports gay rights and has received threats in the past, but Blair wasn’t sure whether that had anything to do with the fire. She also said a homeless man lives on the property.
The fire was devastating, but “we’re a very strong congregation,” she said. “We’re stronger than any building.”
The church is known in the area as one of the most significant landmarks in Hazel Dell because the building, which sits atop Ludlum Hill, resembles an upside-down boat, Schmitke said.
The church, built in 1961, has unconventional lines with tall spires on the east and west sides and a sweeping, curved roof that features a 120-foot-long stained glass skylight, the only glass in the windowless structure.
Though it is often likened to Noah’s Ark, the church’s design actually was a compromise between differing factions of the building team — one that wanted a cathedral-type structure and the other that wanted an emphasis on the transept. The Rev. Edward Hastings, church minister at the time of the building’s dedication, said that the building symbolized the Holy Trinity.
Wednesday’s fire disrupted local nonprofit Martha’s Pantry, a food pantry for people with HIV and AIDS, which uses the lower level of the church for food storage and social gatherings.
Executive Director Vicki Smith said that the majority of the food will have to be destroyed because of smoke damage. Smith said that she is working to figure out a new location to run the food pantry, but it would not be open today or Friday.
“We’re working to get re-established as soon as possible,” she said.
Wednesday evening, several dozen members of the congregation gathered on the church lawn.
“The building may be damaged, but the hearts of this community beat stronger than ever,” Pastor Jennifer Brownwell said.
The church is working with other faith communities to find a temporary space, she said, but Sunday’s service will be on the church lawn.
Columbian staff writer Andy Matarrese contributed to this story.
