TEMPLE (January 19, 2010)—Hot spots remain deep inside the rubble after a fire that broke out early Tuesday morning gutted the sanctuary and an adjoining building of Temple’s more than 70-year-old First Baptist Church.

Church members held a prayer vigil Tuesday night at the church’s teen center while firefighters made plans to fence off the church property.

Crews planned to remain on the scene throughout the night.

While fire crews battled the flames Tuesday, church leaders began planning for the immediate future as offers of alternative places for services quickly came in.

Officials said services will be held this Sunday only at 11 p.m. at the Mayborn Convention Center.

There will be only a single service Sunday, official said.

The church was forced to close its daycare center because of the fire and leaders were still working Tuesday evening on plans to relocate the program.

According to the church’s Web site, the Child Development Center, which was damaged by smoke, will be closed for at least the remainder of the week.

The total loss has not yet been determined, fire officials said.

A fund has been established under the name of First Baptist Fire Relief Fund and donations may be made at any Extraco Bank.

A Temple police officer spotted the flames and reported the fire at 5:24 a.m. Tuesday and a second alarm was requested within a few minutes of the arrival of the first Temple Fire and Rescue crews.

A third alarm was requested at 5:40 a.m., calling in all off-duty firefighters.

The roof of the church collapsed around 6:30 a.m. as crews battled the flames from all four sides.

Firewalls, which were installed in 2003, are believed to have helped protect the remainder of the building.

A structural engineer was evaluating the integrity of the outside walls of the damaged buildings.

Church members and staffers gathered at the fire scene through the morning.

“It was hard to see the roof cave in,” said staff member Kay Bacon, “but the church hasn’t caved in.”

Temple Police blocked a number of downtown streets around the church to keep the curious away.

The Salvation Army dispatched its mobile canteen to the fire scene to provide firefighters with food, drinks and a place to rest.

Mutual aid was provided fire departments from Troy, Rogers, Little River Academy, Moffat and Morgan's Point Resort.

The Temple First Baptist Church Daycare Center was closed Tuesday because of the fire and the nearby Christ Church School, formerly known as the McGowen-Stephens School Christ Episcopal Church, closed Tuesday, as well.

Destroyed For A Second Time

According the Temple First Baptist Church Web site, this is the second time the church has suffered a destructive fire.

On March 6, 1938, a fire that broke out late at night after an evening service destroyed the church, which was at the time at the intersection of North Main Street and Barton Avenue.

Earlier that day, at the close of the morning service, the pastor, Dr. C.R. Shirar, had just announced his resignation to take a position in a Louisiana-based church.

Three months later, the church broke ground on a new sanctuary at its current location at North First Street and Barton Avenue.

Prior to Tuesday morning's fire, the church had been planning to open a second campus on 138 acres of land purchased last year near Pea Ridge Road and Farm-to-Market 2305 in west Temple.