HAMLET – The main structure of Hamlet’s First United Methodist Church on Charlotte Street, which is over a century old, suffered approximately $40,000 worth of damage from a “suspicious” fire on Friday, January 5.
If not for the astute observation of a neighbor who called in the fire to Richmond County Emergency Services, and the subsequent quick response of the Hamlet and Rockingham Fire Departments, the results could have been far worse.
The shrill sounds of sirens from fire trucks and police cars were heard throughout the town after a 911 call was made at approximately 7:00 p.m. from a home across the street from the church.
“We could see the flames going up the side of the church,” said a witness who asked to remain anonymous. “But the fire department was here so fast that they were able to put it out pretty quickly.”
Still, the smell of smoke and burnt material permeated the air around the pews on Saturday morning, and the carpet remained saturated from the water from the fire hoses.
A photo from inside First United Methodist shows scorch marks from flames.
“It’s definitely of a suspicious nature,” said Hamlet Fire Chief Calvin White. “That’s why we turned it over to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation for further investigation.”
While no immediate information was forthcoming from the SBI, others reiterated the concerns of Chief White.
“It looks almost like something was thrown through the window; there’s glass all inside that makes it look like more than just an accidental fire,” said Pastor Deb Wilkins.
Methodist District Supervisor Ken Locklear, who was on site to meet with Wilkins to discuss options, indicated that this is actually the second fire to occur to Methodist churches under his jurisdiction this first week of 2018.
“The church in Rose Hill just burned to the ground earlier this week,” said Locklear. “We are just thankful that this (Hamlet) fire was no worse than it was.”
Wilkins noted that the church is planning to have services Sunday, January 7, but she had not yet determined how the situation might affect the scheduling of services.
The RO will report on the SBI’s findings as soon as details become available.
