Muskogee church damaged in fire to proceed with Ash Wednesday services at nearby Parish Hall

A church in Muskogee was damaged by a fire just days before Ash Wednesday. Firefighters said no one was inside at the time and that the cause is under investigation.

Osage Drone 6 shows the damage to the roof of St. Joseph Catholic Church, with one corner appearing to sink, after a fire that caught the attention of neighbors.

“My good friend who lives right over there, she’s also a parishioner, she called me maybe a little before 9:00 and said, ‘Theresa, the church is on fire.’ And I’m like what?!” Teresa Hughes said. Hughes has been going to St. Joseph’s for nearly 30 years – and rushed over to see it for herself.

“I was imagining the worst, but they were getting it out,” Hughes said.

Q: Who is investigating the fire?

A: Firefighters were there minutes after an alarm went off, and said they had the fire under control after about an hour and a half. The ATF is also investigating because it said church fires fall under its jurisdiction.

“Kudos to the Muskogee Fire Department for their fast action and they’re very good at what they did. They saved this whole building. Cause this really, the way it got into the attic, this thing could have been a disaster, worse than it is,” ATF Resident Agent in Charge Ashley Stephens said.

Q: What is the damage to the church?

A: “It’s got some substantial structural damage, some support beams that’s twisted and warped and we’ve got some fracturing of the brick veneer on the front,” Muskogee Assistant Fire Marshall Mike Haley said.

Q: Do firefighters know how the fire started yet?

A: “We’ve got a pretty good idea where inside it started, now we’re just figuring out how it started and if there is any kind of malicious intent, or if it was just an accident, we’re gonna try to get down to that,” Stephens said.

Q: What happens next for parishioners?

A: St. Joseph said Ash Wednesday mass will be held at the Parish Hall on the property.

“This is just a thing that we’ll go through,” Hughes said. “Repairing and getting things back in order. Right up until Easter, maybe, probably beyond.”

Q: Did the fire impact any other buildings on the property?

A: No. Firefighters say the St. Joseph School, right next to the church, was not impacted by the fire.