150-Year-Old Beecher Church Destroyed In Fire, Officials Say

BEECHER, IL — A fire at an Oktoberfest celebration in Beecher completely destroyed St. Paul's Lutheran Church Sunday, fire officials said. According to congregation members, the building was 150 years old.

Beecher firefighters were already at the scene at around 1:30 p.m. responding to a call of a sick person at the festival when officials saw heavy smoke and fire coming from the top of the south end of the church. Crews helped evacuate the building, which is located at 1407 West Church Road, and then began to extinguish the flames.

According to a news release from the Beecher Fire Protection District, the closest fire hydrant was a mile away, so residents had to help supply water from the surrounding areas. Officials said around 91,000 gallons of water were used to put out the fire.

"To look at the smoldering rubble is gut wrenching," a social media post from St. Paul's read. "All that remains of the steeple are these charred and smoking timbers. Devastating. Tragic."

One firefighter was taken to a local hospital for heat exhaustion, and three were treated on site. Another three residents were treated and released at the scene.

A link to donate to the church can be found on its website.

Authorities said the cause of the fire is under investigation by the Illinois State Fire Marshal and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.