A small church in downtown Greeley received substantial fire damage Monday evening when nearby bushes caught fire from suspected fireworks.
The Unitarian Universalist Church at 929 15th St. suffered about $5,000 in fire damage after a small fireworks rocket shot into an evergreen bush next to the church, said Dale Lyman, division chief of the Union Colony Fire Rescue Authority.
Firefighters were called out at 6:43 p.m. Monday.
“When we got there, two evergreen bushes were burning,” Lyman said. “The fire progressed up the wall then into the roof overhang and the eave.
“The flames broke a window, which allowed smoke to enter the church. There was no real interior damage to the church, and we were able to blow the smoke out.”
Lyman said witnesses told them students who lived across the alley were setting off fireworks.
The Rev. Zakir Lawrence Henson said the interior smelled strongly of smoke.
“The smell is pretty bad, but there’s very little smoke damage,” he said. “There’s no soot on the walls, except in one community room.
“We plan to shampoo the carpets, get rid of the smell and be back in business by Sunday,” Henson said.
He said the church, which has between 55 and 60 members, is insured for the damage.
Staff writer Mike McPhee can be reached at mmcphee@denverpost.com or by calling 303-954-1409.
