On Christmas Day, a fire broke out at the Reformation Covenant Church in Oregon City, which summoned a swift response from Clackamas Fire and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. The blaze, reported shortly after 2 p.m., was seen coming from the roof of the church, a complex structure with an old and new roof that created challenges for the firefighters trying to control the flames. KATU News reported that the fire was situated in the space between these roofs, prompting crews to conduct vent operations and fight the fire from both above and within.
According to Chris Edmonds, Chief Information Officer with Clackamas Fire, the unique architectural detail of the church required unconventional firefighting efforts from the roof and interior. Despite the difficulties, officials confirmed there were no injuries as no one was inside the church at the time of the fire, and the immediate concern became the structure's integrity. Josh Santos, Battalion Chief for Clackamas Fire, described the challenge due to the "multiple roofs," and that the fire call placed intense demands on the responding units, including 16 crews and three chiefs, according to an interview with KATU News.
As firefighters extinguished the fire, local residents were taken by the scale of the response during the holiday. Neighbor Dan Beyer expressed his shock to KATU News over seeing so many firetrucks in their community on Christmas, emphasizing the strength of the neighborhood's sense of community and their readiness to offer support. After the fire had been brought under control, Portland General Electric and Clackamas County Disaster Management also assisted, demonstrating a collaborative effort among various agencies.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Santos told KATU News that due to the age of the building and recent activities, such as a vigil held the prior evening, the investigation is expected to be thorough and could take time to determine the exact cause. Meanwhile, other local outlets, including KGW and KOIN, reported the fire had spread to the roof space; however, no injuries were reported, and the fire was eventually controlled and entered the mop-up phase to prevent reignition.
Closure of the surrounding blocks was enforced to secure the area for emergency operations, and while church-goers did not offer comments on the blaze, the sentiment in the community indicated a readiness to come together and support one another. "It's a nice neighborhood, it's a nice community, so I assume everybody's going to kind of rally around and do what they can to help," Beyer said, in a statement obtained by KATU News. The damages to the church and the next steps for repairs will be assessed over time. The full impact of the Christmas Day blaze on the Reformation Covenant Church is yet to be fully understood.
