Massive Blaze Engulfs St. William Catholic Church in Avondale

INCIDENT DATE/TIME: 5-1-2024 | 12:58 AM
LOCATION: 11025 W. 3rd Street
AREA/CITY: Avondale
DETAILS:

Avondale Fire crews responded to reports of a structure fire on 3rd Street in Avondale near 111th Ave just before 1 AM Wednesday.

Crews arrived on scene at the St. William Catholic Church and found heavy smoke pouring from the roof of the building.

The fire was quickly balanced to a first alarm assignment due to the size and severity of the blaze.

The decision was made to transition to defensive operations as flames compromised the structure roof.

The fire was then balanced to a second alarm working fire, triggering a large-scale response from several West Valley fire agencies.

Fire crews deployed several handlines around the exterior of the building, flowing water into the affected church while protecting nearby exposures.

A deck nozzle was deployed from a nearby engine, and an elevated master stream was deployed from a tower ladder positioned over the ground.

Crews battled the blaze for over an hour before achieving an affective knockdown on the bulk of the flames.

Firefighters are expected to remain on scene through the morning as they continue to extinguish hot spots.

No injuries have been reported and fire investigators are working to determine the fires source of origin.

HANDLING AGENCIES: Avondale Fire, Tolleson Fire, Phoenix Fire, Glendale Fire, Goodyear Fire, Buckeye Fire

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