Fire Destroys Church In Buffalo County

10/11, KFOR’s media partner, reported that a church in Buffalo County was complete destroyed by a fire. A passer-by reported a fire Wednesday morning about 7:15 at Zion Lutheran Church located at 53125 Grand Island Road, about ten miles northwest of Shelton.

Church member Rick Pope told said, “Most of the neighborhood knew about it about seven o’clock this morning, I looked out the window and saw a glow. I live about five miles away and could see a glow. My son called me about that same time and we came up and watched it burn down.”

Shelton Fire Chief Jason Wiehn said it took crews about 35 minutes to contain the fire. He said the building is destroyed. Firefighters from Shelton, Wood River, Gibbon and Ravenna were on the scene.

Chief Wiehn said firefighters biggest problem was water supply. Trucks had to return to Shelton and Ravenna to get more water to fight the fire. Fire officials don’t believe anyone was around the area or inside the church at the time of the fire and there were no reported injuries.

A 10/11 reporter on the scene spoke to a parishioner who has been going to Zion Lutheran his entire life. He said it hasn’t really kicked in yet that this occurred.

Pope said, “It’s too early to really put everything into words but we’re really saddened and just kind of a sick feeling. This building’s been here since 1912, a lot of families have grown up here and it’s just a part of our lives.” The state fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire. This story will be updateded as new information becomes available.