Former Church Building in St. Elmo Destroyed by Fire

A former church building in St. Elmo was destroyed by fire overnight.

St. Elmo Fire Protection District Chief Doug Engeljohn said they were called to the scene at Ash and 3rd Streets at 1:25am. Engeljohn said he does not know what caused the fire, since utility service to the building had been disconnected.

The building at one point was the Christian Church building for St. Elmo and is located near the grocery store in the downtown area. The building is now privately owned.

Engeljohn said two-thirds of the roof was involved in flames when they reached the scene. All that remains is the four exterior walls. The one area firefighters tried to knock down but were unsuccessful is the old bell tower of the church. The intersection of Ash and 3rd is closed due to concerns over the structural soundness of the tower.

No one was injured. Brownstown, Altamont, Shumway and Vandalia firefighters helped at the scene or staffed the St. Elmo station in case of another fire. Fayette County Ambulance also assisted and Engeljohn asked to thank the St. Elmo Water Department staffers who assisted in making sure there was a water supply to fight the fire.

Firefighters finally cleared the scene about 6:30am.