EDGEWATER — If there was ever a good time for Immanuel Lutheran Church in Edgewater to catch on fire, that time was this weekend, Parish Administrator Madeline Lund said.
And that's exactly what happened.
The timing was divine, Lund said, because the church usually held classes and preschool in the building — but students are currently away for spring break. There are play groups scheduled to meet this week, but they'll be convening in another part of the building, she said.
"So if something bad had to happen, now is a good time," Lund said with a chuckle. "We're very grateful that no one was hurt and that damage seems to be repairable — persons are different."
Lund said a fire broke out at the 1500 W. Elmdale Ave. church Saturday evening, causing damage as it spread to both stories of the building.
Windows on the western side of the building. [DNAinfo/Linze Rice]
In the next few weeks, she said the church expects to hear back from investigators about what they believe could be the cause of the fire, and in the meantime are waiting for insurance inspectors to look over the property.
By Tuesday afternoon, a man was at the church boarding up windows smashed by fire crews along the building's western half.
Along window sills smoke damage lingered, and a driveway leading to the back alley was laden with small shards of broken glass.
Near the dumpster sat several garbage cans filled with charred debris.
Lund said no one was at the church at the time of the fire, and was grateful no one was injured. The park sits on a heavily trafficked residential area across the street from Senn Playlot Park.
Charred wood and materials from inside the church filled garbage cans in the alley, with smoke damage and broken glass evident throughout the area. [DNAinfo/Linze Rice]
The U-shaped church campus at 1500 W. Elmdale Ave., with a repairman in the background boarding up broken windows from the fire. [DNAinfo/Linze Rice]
For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here:
