Fire damages Coastal Christian Church in Dunedin
DUNEDIN, Fla. - A congregation is without a church after an early morning fire Wednesday damaged its sanctuary and surrounding buildings in Dunedin.
According to Dunedin Fire Rescue’s Deputy Fire Chief Michael Handoga, about 65 firefighters from departments across Pinellas County battled a fire at Coastal Christian Church in Dunedin for about an hour and a half. He added that the three-alarm fire started in a nearby dumpster and the flames spread to the church’s sanctuary.
A 911 call came in around 3 a.m. According to Handoga, the fire badly damaged the sanctuary and the roof. No one was injured.
Scott Hacking, a member of the church, first saw the news on Facebook Wednesday morning.
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"I showed my wife and said, ‘Look what happened to our church,’" he recalled.
Then, he drove over to see it himself.
Firefighters work to put out fire at Coastal Christian Church.
"When things break, I think it's a good reminder that things aren't important. I think you're faced with that because we get caught up in the worldly things of our lives. It's just a reminder, again, that things can be replaced and there's something deeper and bigger that we're striving towards," Hacking stated. "So, it's just a good reminder. I try to see the good in it and I try to see new opportunity."
The church’s preschool, Sweet Peas, and the thrift shop both have water damage. According to the owner of Sweet Peas, the preschool was only damaged by the water used to put the fire in the church out. She said the reopening date is unknown at this time, but the Largo location is open.
The pastor said the thrift shop will be closed for the time being as well. Hacking said the church will recover.
"We can always, no matter what has happened, we can always start again. That's the message of Christianity is redemption. So, no matter what has happened, we're never broken. That's Psalm 20, verse two. ‘The Lord will lift us up from despair and set our feet on solid ground.’ That's scripture, but we live by that," Hacking said.
"It's just another curveball, isn't it? Life throws you curveballs, and we need to be ready and expect them to happen I suppose," Hacking added.
The pastor said they’ll have church in the parking lot this Sunday. He said they’re working with adjusters right now to see how extensive the damage is and how much the repairs will cost.
According to Handoga, Dunedin Fire Rescue is investigating the cause of the fire, but right now, they don’t believe it was arson.
Units from the following fire departments assisted Wednesday: Dunedin, Palm Harbor, Safety Harbor, Clearwater, Tarpon Springs, Largo, East Lake, SunStar, and the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.