Overview
- Investigators said the blaze began with an all-terrain vehicle parked next to the building and then spread into the sanctuary.
- Firefighters from Cedar Creek, Lakeview, Whitney, White Bluff, Blum, Woodbury, Peoria, and Steel Creek responded, with CareFlite and county emergency management assisting.
- FM 2604 north of Whitney was closed with detours posted, and authorities told drivers not to go around barricades.
- A collapse risk kept crews from entering the church to fight the flames, so firefighters worked from the outside.
- Three firefighters suffered heat-related injuries, including one who was treated at a hospital, and the State Fire Marshal's Office is reviewing the cause.