news, latest-news

Police are investigating an "intense" fire that tore through the Tuggeranong Baptist Church on Saturday morning. Just after 6am, firefighters and police were called to the scene of the fire on Jenke Circuit, as flames engulfed the church. Crews battled the blaze throughout the early morning, managing to contain the inferno and stop its spread to nearby properties within the hour. The fire was extinguished shortly after 10am following a sustained water attack. Police are now treating the fire as suspicious and an investigation has been launched into its cause. The church's assistant pastor, Paul Massen, said many in the church community are in shock, with nothing from the building able to be salvaged. "The damage is unbelievable, it can't be repaired obviously and it can't be replaced," he said. "I couldn't find anything that hadn't been damaged and it's quite a big building. Some of the walls have collapsed and the roof has buckled and caved in. "I don't think there's anyway of salvaging it at all." A structural engineer has been called in to assess the site. Among the damage to the church building itself, the church's op shop as well as the recently renovated kitchen - which provided free hot lunches to the community - was also destroyed in the blaze. Mr Massen said the church's op shop, which had around 1000 items, was the primary way the church helped people less fortunate in the community. "It provided the finances for the community lunches, and also it did food vouchers for families doing it tough and sometimes there would be assistance with electricity bills," he said. "It's obviously a concern [that the fire is being treated as suspicious]. It hasn't really sunk in that there's someone in Canberra who would do something like this." Despite the fire tearing through the long-standing church, a service is still planned for Sunday morning. The assistant pastor said the church community is still planning to meet for its weekly service on the lawns of the church at 10am. "There's also going to be a meeting on Sunday afternoon to talk about a plan on what to do from here," Mr Massen said. "The Tuggeranong Baptist Church will survive and will continue to do the things we've always done." Earlier in the morning, fire crews were unable to enter the building due to the ferocity of the fire. "Because the fire is so intense, [firefighters] haven't been able to go inside the building," an ESA spokesman said at 8am. "They've been restricted to defensive firefighting, but they've managed to keep it contained within the building itself." Three fire trucks, a bronto aerial appliance, breathing apparatus support van and commander were on scene throughout the morning to fight the blaze, with crews hosing the building from above as well as from the ground. Kambah resident Ben Langley was walking his dog just after 6am when he saw the church was ablaze. "I live pretty close to the church, and not far after I left I saw the flames and as I got closer, I could tell it was the church," he said. "From Drakeford Drive you could see the flames." Mr Langley said he used to attend the church as a teenager, and said he had "many good memories" of going there every week. A spokeswoman for ActewAGL confirmed power was shut off in parts of Kambah at 9am to assist firefighting efforts. While a small number of customers remained affected as of 10:50am, power was expected to be fully restored within the hour. Police urged anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who has information about the fire to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. More to come.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/e1123457-e30d-425b-962b-a895cfed63ef/r0_185_2000_1315_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg