Crews battle fire at church in Hueytown

HUEYTOWN, Ala. (WBRC) - Sadly, New Mt. Moriah Baptist Church in Hueytown is a total loss after a fire on August 5, 2022.

Flames are still a factor in the basement under all the wreckage, and firefighters have had a hard time getting water on the remaining embers.

They used foam, hoping to put an end to the flames.

“You can see the flames from a block before you got here,” said Melvin Chappell, who is Chairman of the Deacon Ministry

Firefighters were at the church with in minutes, but things escalated quickly.

“When the first units arrived on scene they had heavy smoke showing out of the gables. They tried to make entry. They went in but there was so much they were pushed back out when the roof started to collapse. At that point we just had to go to a defensive attack and just try to get water on the fire” said Hueytown Fire Marshal Brannon Clark.

Soon, water was spraying the church from every angle, but still, the damage was done.

“No firefighters were injured, but for now the fire is going to be under investigation. As you can see it is a total loss,” said Clark.

That fact brought a few to tears, with some reflecting on the treasured memories made over the years.

“Man, I was baptized at that church. I was baptized at that church,” – said church member Bernerd Cook.

Still church leaders are just thankful no one was harmed, and stress the church is wherever they gather in the name of the Lord.

“We are the church and the Lord is going to see us through this. Everything worked together for the good of those that love the Lord, so we believe everything will be okay,” said Chappell.

Crews will be routinely checking for hot spots and investigating over the next few days.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE WBRC FOX6 NEWS APP

Subscribe to our WBRC newsletter and receive the latest local news and weather straight to your email.

Copyright 2022 WBRC. All rights reserved.