ORLEANS – Firefighters rushed to St. Joan of Arc Church on Canal Road in Orleans just after 4 PM Friday. Smoke was seen coming from the roof of the church and crews determined the fire was in the solar panels on the building. Crews were able to quickly douse the fire prevent the fire from getting inside the church. No injuries were reported. Officials remained on scene checking for any fire extension. The exact cause of the fire is under investigation.
From Orleans Fire: On Friday 30 June 2023, at 4:06 p.m. the Orleans Fire Department was dispatched to a report of flames coming from the roof of the St Joan of Are Church. A passerby spotted the flames and called 911. On arrival, Orleans crews found smoke and flames showing from the roof of the church. Due to increased on-duty staffing for the holiday weekend, an engine and ladder truck were staffed on the initial dispatch. When Chief Deering arrived, additional resources were called from neighboring towns to assist at the scene and cover stations. Due to the large size of the building, firefighters worked to contain the flames to the area of origin. It was determined that the fire started on the roof of the church in solar panels and extended into an attic space above the main floor. Multiple hoselines were placed to contain the fire along with several ladder companies to access the roof. The main area of fire was extinguished in about 10 minutes and crews remained on scene for another 90 minutes to clear smoke and check for hotspots. There were no injuries to civilians or firefighters. There was a total of 38 firefighters on the scene. Damage to the interior of the church was limited and the Church should be openfor regular services this weekend.
Chief Geof Deering said, “This fire was able to be contained and extinguished quickly due to the actions of a passerby who called 911 right away and the efforts of the firefighters on scene. This response and the corresponding limit of damage is a direct result of having on duty staffing ready to respond.”
Thank you to Eastham, Brewster, Harwich, Chatham, Yarmouth, Dennis, and Hyannis Fire Departments, as well as the Orleans Police and the Communications Center at the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office.
Top photos and video by Jake O’Callaghan/CWN; lower photo by Orleans Fire/CWN
or063023 Orleans church fire from Cape Wide News LLC on Vimeo.
