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Calvary Baptist congregation to worship elsewhere as investigation continues into church fire

Calvary Baptoist Chu rch sits at the corner of Washington Boulevard and Pakcer Street in Williamsport. KAREN VIBERT-KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

As the investigation into the cause of last week’s two-alarm blaze at Calvary Baptist Church, 42 Washington Blvd., continued, the Rev. Howard Woodruff, pastor, made arrangements for the congregation to conduct services at another house of worship for at least the next two weeks.

“On Sunday, the congregation enjoyed worship on the lawn outside the church,” Woodruff said in a brief interview Monday morning. “The congregation is doing very well. We are remaining upbeat and positive,” he said.

Woodruff had hoped that the service could have been held in Calvary’s adjoining fellowship hall, which was not damaged by the fire. However, heat and electric service for the entire complex remains shut off, he said.

It will probably be another two weeks before a utility company can restore service to the area that Woodruff referred to as “the education building.” The state police fire marshal’s office is leading the investigation into the blaze, which caused at least $100,000 damage.

Although the fire marshal’s office has completed its work at the church, “the investigation is active and ongoing,” and no cause has yet been determined, according to a news release issued Monday by Cpl. Nathan Birth. The fire’s origin appeared to have been in the basement, where city firefighters encountered heavy smoke as they were driving past the building on their way to another incident about 8:10 p.m. on Oct. 23. Anyone with information about the fire is encouraged to call police at 570-368-5700.

Representatives from the church’s insurance company as well as engineers were on the scene much of Monday inspecting the extent of the damage. The best case scenario is if the church can be saved and all necessary repairs be completed so the congregation can move back into the sanctuary by Easter, Woodruff said.

However, there was “fire damage to the building’s understructure, the support beams,” Woodruff noted, adding that depending on the extent of the damage, there is the possibility that the church might have to be demolished. “That’s the worst case scenario,” he added.

Since the fire, Washington Boulevard directly in front of the church has been closed to traffic as a safety precaution. Although a fence was erected around the building, there still is the potential for bricks to fall out into the street, city Fire Chief Sam Aungst said Monday.

SERVPRO, the company contracted to clean up the fire scene, was hoping to get access to an elevated platform which would allow employees to better shore up all loose bricks and other material so that the street could soon be reopened to traffic, Aungst said.

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