The report of the fire was received shortly after 10 a.m. at the United Methodist Church “Grace”, located at 422 Walnut Street.
COSHOCTON, Ohio – Crews responded to a large fire that engulfed Kashakton Church on Friday.
The report of the fire was received shortly after 10 a.m. at the United Methodist Church “Grace”, located at 422 Walnut Street.
The Coshocton Fire Department responded to the scene with the help of neighboring units. In total, more than 70 firefighters from seven different fire departments helped put out the fire.
“As soon as you went outside, you smelled smoke,” said Josie Sellers of Koshaktan County Lighthouse 10TV.
Fire crews were able to contain the blaze and no one was injured, Coshocton security manager Max Crown said. Although there was no real structural damage to the building, Coron said it would need to be demolished.
“I was baptized here, I got married here. This building keeps a lot of memories, but what I feel is most important … the building can be replaced, and human life cannot,” said Coshoctan Mayor Mark Mills.
Mills said he was working at the other end of town when the fire chief warned him of the fire. He considers the rapid response time and assistance from neighboring departments to quickly contain the fire before it can spread to other buildings.
Rev. Deb Quillen says she was called about the fire when she was home.
“They said,‘ Deb, the church is on fire, ’and hung up,” she said.
For Quilen, who came to this church a little over a year ago, she had this message for her now churchless congregation.
“Even though there is no church building, God is still with us. He will always be with us. ”
The fire department believes the fire started on the west side of the building. Firefighters believe that because they responded within two minutes of the first 911 call, they prevented the destruction of the church.
Grace United Methodist Church has been operating in Koshoktan since 1840, and the church on Walnut Street has been around for more than 100 years, according to its Facebook page.
Photos published by Coshocton County Beacon can be seen below:
https://www.10tv.com/article/news/local/crews-contain-large-fire-coshocton-church-friday/530-5c589f36-e770-4160-9849-9ccab944a4ba
