Flames tore through part of the oldest church in Arlington, Virginia, early Friday, leaving members without a place to worship and drawing community members to rescue books left inside.
The Mount Olivet United Methodist Church fire started in an attic above the music and education wing of the church, Pastor Rev. Sarah Keeling said in a letter to the community.
Firefighters were sent to the church about 2:40 a.m. and arrived to find flames coming out of the roof, Arlington fire officials said.
Crews from two firehouses put out the blaze, Arlington fire officials said. No injuries were reported.
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Keeling woke about 3:30 a.m. to a knock at the door and terrible news.
“That there was fire at the church, and then as soon as I could see past them, I could see a street full of fire engines,” she said.
“Church fire is just one of the last things you want to hear,” she said.
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Firefighters returned to the church at midday as smoke erupted again from an upper-level storage area where the flames began overnight.
Alexis Joyce, the preschool director at Mount Olivet, said she got choked up when she first heard about the blaze.
“It’s emotional… we’ve made lots of friends here, our children have made lots of friends here, and I work here now, so it’s really, it’s hard to put into words,” Joyce said. “It feels like a fire in your own home.”
“As a member, it’s been devastating to know that there’s been damage,” Cindy Huber said.
Extensive smoke and water damage mean that worship services on Sunday must be relocated, Keeling said. The pastors decided they’ll gather with their congregation close to home in a parking lot and that grassy area for 11 a.m. service Sunday.
Volunteers showed up to remove books from the building, concerned the ceiling may cave in.
More than a dozen volunteers formed a makeshift assembly line. Mt. Olivet hosts a nonprofit that takes books to children across Arlington. Its founder posted an SOS online.
“I said, ‘There’s a fire; I need volunteers to get the books out ASAP,’ and look what happened,” Read Early and Daily founder Jennifer Sauter-Price said.
For hours, volunteers rescued hundreds of brand new books from the water-soaked basement storage area, packed them up and carried them off for safekeeping.
“I got the email at, like, 10 minutes to 10, as a matter of fact,” volunteer Lawrence Norris said. “And I guess I was here by 10 minutes after 10.”
“We’re really a cornerstone in the community …,” the Rev. Jeff Goodman said. “Our community assistance programs have brought people in from all over Arlington to give them assistance, and I think because of that, we’re seeing today people coming out and helping us.”
The fire marshal went to the scene to investigate what may have caused the fire. Glebe Road was blocked between 15th and 17th streets as crews begin to clean up and remove debris.
The church also houses a preschool that dozens of children attend. The school is closed Friday, but the preschool and sanctuary wings were not directly damaged, Keeling said.
The church has a long history in Arlington: The first church was completed about 1860, and the current structure was built about 1948.
Mount Olivet is the oldest church site in continuous use in Arlington County, according to their website.
“We still ask that you be in prayer for our community, clergy, and staff as we navigate the following days and weeks,” Keeling said in a message to the community.
Stay with News4 for more on this developing story.
