Vacant church near Dallas Love Field Airport destroyed by fire

Dallas firefighters are currently investigating the cause of a 3-alarm fire that ravaged a vacant church and an adjacent building near Love Field Airport on Tuesday afternoon.

Jason Evans, a representative from Dallas Fire-Rescue, stated that firefighters responded to reports of a fire at a church located at 7715 Denton Drive South around 1 p.m.

Upon arrival, firefighters noticed a significant amount of smoke emanating from one side of the building. Initial attempts to combat the fire from within the building were thwarted when the flames rapidly intensified, eventually piercing through the roof. As a result, firefighters had to retreat and tackle the blaze from outside.

After approximately 90 minutes, firefighters managed to bring the fire under control.

Evans explained, “The church comprised two buildings in total. It appears that the fire originated in the building situated at the address on the front of the location before spreading to the rear building. Both structures have been completely destroyed, with roof collapses occurring. It’s possible that neither building will be deemed safe for reentry once the assessment is complete.”

There were no indications of anyone being inside either of the vacant buildings, and no injuries were reported, according to Evans.

Signage outside the church indicated that it was most recently occupied by Iglesia Adventista.

Belinda Javier, a nearby resident, recounted hearing the arrival of fire trucks while she was at home. She observed smoke quickly engulfing the area between the buildings, with the church being engulfed in flames in a short span of time. Javier mentioned that the church had been abandoned for some time and had been boarded up due to people frequently entering and taking items.

As a precaution, children from Obadiah Knight Elementary School, situated adjacent to the church, were relocated to another site.