Gospel Hall Destroyed: Lightning Causes Fire

The OVFD were right next door, but a smouldering fire in the attic leads to ruin.

A sudden mid-afternoon lightning strike shook up residents of downtown Oxford, with at least one family concerned enough to leave their house and check for damage.

Catharine and Tom Mairo, whose home sits at the corner of Water St. and Waverley St., rushed outside after hearing a loud bang to check the exterior, and then their attic, but found no damage — surprisingly, Catharine says, given how violent the sound was. This was at 2:56pm Saturday.

Nothing seemed amiss in the neighbourhood as well… until smoke began billowing from the attic of the Gospel Hall almost directly across the street from their home around 7:00pm. A multi-department response — which included Oxford with mutual assist from Collingwood, Springhill and Pugwash firefighters, as well as the RCMP for traffic control — saw the situation brought under control within the hour.

OVFD Fire Chief Bruce Rushton said lightning is the probable cause, with a telltale scar on the roof. Captain Darren Rushton Jr. was the senior officer at the scene when the responders first arrivd — Rushton said he did a “phenomenal” job organizing the department’s response and arranging for mutual aid. Both Chief Rushton and Deputy Chief Kyle Purdy then arrived to command the response.

Chief Rushton said crews had to open up the ceiling under the roof to check for hot spots. Access from the Springhill Fire Department’s ladder truck brought firefighters to the roof, while the OVFD crew entered the building and went up the narrow rear staircase, a challenge he said, with the breathing apparatus and other gear firefighters carry for their protection.

Although the fire appears to have been contained in the attic, water damage is certainly expected. Speaking for the Gospel Hall congregation, John Roblee said the building is “a write-off”. He confirmed the church was insured.

Chief Rushton said firefighters, where the situation allows, do try to minimize damage to the contents of buildings when firefighting operations are underway, spreading plastic tarps over interior furniture and other items. This was the case at the Gospel Hall, where members of the congregation were able to remove items under the supervision of the crews once the fire was extinguished.

From the outside, the Gospel Hall shows little evidence of the fire, with a bit of scorching under the peak of the roof at the front. More damage is visible at the rear of the building. According to Roblee, the church had recently upgraded the roof to metal.

The RCMP shut down Water St. between Main St. and the River Philip bridge, as well as Waverley St. from Water as far as Ellis St., which is the location of the Oxford Volunteer Fire Department. The Gospel Hall property sits to the right of the OVFD building. Fortunately the fire hall to the left, and a small barn owned by Allen’s Funeral Home on the right, are situated far enough away as to escape any damage.

Chief Rushton praised the co-operation from the mutual aid partners — Springhill, Collingwood, Pugwash — who worked seamlessly on the scene, noting the joint training exercises and professionalism of the firefighters. Once the fire was handled, the OVFD set up for the extensive after-event cleanup of gear and equipment. Rushton said it was after midnight by the time these volunteer firefighters were able to head home. He said the firefighters who responded from other departments were invited to clean their equipment before heading back to their own fire halls. He said it was great to see the group effort, tables covered in gear, “all one team.”

Construction of the Gospel Hall of Christians Gathered in the Name of Jesus Christ began in June, 1959, with the church’s dedication held in November, 1960. According to Roblee, the current congregation counts on about ten dedicated members. The ground floor auditorium featured an overlooking balcony, with sunday school rooms originally set up in the building’s finished basement.

Lightning is a frequent culprit in church fires, with many a steeple struck. Oxford’s United Church (founded as the Wesleyan Methodist Church), on Main Street was struck at least three times, the last being in 1953, after which the tower at front was lowered to its present height.