CRAWFORDSVILLE, Ind. — Fire crews are investigating what caused a fire at a historic church to break out Thursday afternoon on the east side of Crawfordsville.
Firefighters with the Crawfordsville Fire Department were called to 802 Mill Street, the listed address for a two-story vacant structure that previously housed the One Way Pentecostal Apostolic Church, in response to a fire.
A witness who lives next door to the church told a FOX59/CBS4 crew on the scene that fire crews have been battling the blaze since 1:30 p.m.
Crawfordsville Fire Chief Scott Busenbark said crews arrived and observed smoke emerging from the north side of the church’s windows. Firefighters also went inside to initiate an interior attack and determined that flames were also coming from the basement and kitchen area.
Around 15 minutes later, the chief said he decided to pull the firefighters from the inside as the amount of visible smoke continued to increase. Fire crews then switched to a defensive attack on the fire, using hand lines and water streams.
Busenbark confirmed that nobody was inside the church when the fire started.
Busenbark said crews observed a broken window on the north side of the property but are unsure if someone broke into the church before the fire began.
The fire chief added that crews would likely remain on the scene for the rest of Thursday night as they put out hot spots that were continuing to burn.
The church was previously known as the Milligan Memorial Presbyterian Church and functioned as the home of the Crawfordsville Healthy Baby Program.
Officials confirmed the damage to the church is estimated to cost around $150,000. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation.
This is a developing story. Check back here for more updates.
