Osburn church damaged in fire
Smoke pours from the windows of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Osburn on Thursday morning. The accidental fire was caused by a failed heating element in the church's baptismal.
Courtesy photo
OSBURN — A fire that broke out inside the Seventh-day Adventist Church early Thursday has been ruled an accident, according to the Idaho State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Shoshone County Fire District No. 1 Chief John Miller said the initial call came in around 1:30 a.m. after a resident noticed smoke coming from the building.
Crews from SCFD1 and Shoshone County Fire District No. 2 responded to the fire, and several other agencies assisted throughout the morning.
According to Miller, the east side of the building that houses the church’s sanctuary was heavily damaged. The west side addition to the building sustained minor smoke and water damage.
During the initial response, Miller used a thermal image camera to pinpoint hotspots inside the building, which showed most of it along the sanctuary’s vaulted ceiling.
The Idaho State Fire Marshal's Office determined the fire was caused by a failed heating element inside the church’s baptismal.