MOUNT VERNON — When the Mount Vernon Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church on High Street late Wednesday afternoon, it brought a lot of equipment and manpower, knowing a fire in the large older building could quickly grow.
According to MVFD Capt. Dave Mills, the nine firefighters were able to contain the fire to a portion of the roof, avoiding any major damage to the building.
“Construction workers were using a torch to heat the mortar to help it cure faster because of the cold,” Mills explained.
The building’s limestone exterior has been undergoing renovation in recent weeks.
“They accidentally caught a dried wood sill plate, the top of the wall where the rafters sit, on fire,” Mills said.
Firefighters used extinguishers and a hoseline to put out the fire at the top of the wall. They also took hoses into the church attic to check for fire extension. None was found.
“We tried to minimize the water damage, so we only used what we had to,” Mills said.
The building sustained minor fire and water damage.
Firefighters also used pike poles on the exterior wall, prying out some of the limestone to check for fire extension, according to Mills.
Mills said the department brought a ladder truck, two engines and a medic to the scene because of the size of the building.
