PHOTOS: Firefighters' tactical decision to use a front-end loader to open up a hallway while battling a fire at Clinton Assembly of God may have saved part of the facility, officials said Tuesday.
The Clinton Fire Department was called to the church at 801 S. Mulberry at 8:19 a.m., and crews cleared the scene at 3:47 p.m. An official cause and damage estimate were not available late Tuesday. The first companies to arrive tried to attack the interior fire but faced high heat and zero visibility, forcing them to withdraw, according to a joint statement from Fire Chief Jeff Hoke, Assistant Chief Stephen Page and Clinton Public Safety Commissioner Dan Ballenger.
“The fire self-vented through the roof shortly after. Three ladder trucks were used for elevated master streams to fight the fire along with several hand lines around the structure in a defensive operation," the officials said.