BEATRICE – A quick response by firefighters, police and workers may have prevented a bigger problem during a fire at a historic church, Wednesday afternoon.
A fire broke out in a roof area of the Christ Church Episcopal in Beatrice, at 5th and Lincoln…..where work crews have been replacing the church roof and flashing because of hail damage.


Fire Chief Brian Daake says structural damage is expected to be minimal.  "Up in that corner, they saw a little bit of flame, so they pulled a hose line and extinguished the fire and were making sure the fire's out. It sounds like the possible cause of the fire is they were soldering the copper plating up there and it overheated some of the wood that was behind it."


The area of the fire was along the north side of the church, in an area recessed off of Lincoln Street.


A church member says the building’s roof had been replaced because of prior hail damage. Workers were installing copper flashing on Wednesday when the flames started.  "When the police department arrived on the scene, some of the workers were grabbing buckets of water and were trying to run them up there to put the fire out. They were right there when it happened, they called us right away...and between their efforts and our efforts, we were able to put it out, before it got too far", Daake said.


Beatrice firefighters were sent to the scene at 3:40 p.m., and police had already arrived on scene, blocking off the area. Police officers said smoke and some flames were visible.


The fire was declared out at 3:51 p.m., but firefighters remained on the scene pulling some of the copper away from the building and making sure fire did not reach the interior of the church. One fire truck and an ambulance were sent to the scene.


There were no injuries to workers or firefighters.  Construction of the church began in 1889. The over 140-year-old building replaced an original frame church in Beatrice.