Church sustains damage in grease fire
By Melody Brown-Peyton
Published in News on August 5, 2018 3:05 AM
Goldsboro firefighters responded to a grease fire at a local church Friday.
Just after 9 a.m., firefighters responded to the blaze at Pentecostal Holy Church, located at 600 E. Pine St. The fire began when two church members, Thomasina Lewis and Sharon Robinson, were preparing to cook for the church's monthly fish fry.
Grease was placed in a fryer, fueled by propane gas, outside of the entrance to the dining hall. As the women were waiting for the grease to get warm, they went inside the dining hall to have Bible study and prayer.
Robinson said after being inside for a short time, she looked out and saw flames. She said that when she tried to open the door of the dining hall, the flames were intense. Both women escaped through the rear exit of the dining hall unharmed.
The small propane gas tank, commonly used for outdoor cooking, caught fire, said Assistant Fire Chief Eric Lancaster, with the Goldsboro Fire Department. Firefighters responded and extinguished the fire in a short amount of time, Lancaster said.
The church sustained limited damage, which was confined to the entrance area of the dining hall, he said. Estimated damages are about $5,000.
"God is good," Robinson said. "This entire church could have blown up. We had full propane tanks. It is nothing but the Lord."
Pastor Willie E. Lewis was having a morning cup of coffee when he received a call about the fire.
"Initially, I thought the worst," Lewis said. "Then I said, let me clam down. The main thing is that everyone was safe. It is a blessing that the entrance to the dining hall is the only area that is damaged."
Lewis said church members will use more caution in the future to prevent similar accidents.