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Firefighters Called To Local Church For Shed Fire

Contents of a shed owned by St. Timothy Lutheran Church and used for mission trips to Honduras were destroyed in a fire that broke out Monday morning. A man reportedly admitted to starting the fire to stay warm. Photos by St. Timothy Lutheran Church

BEMUS POIT — A fire reportedly started by a man inside a shed to stay warm quickly spread, destroying supplies used by a local church for its mission trips.

Firefighters from Bemus Point and Ashville were called at about 7 a.m. to St. Timothy Lutheran Church, located 3748 Route 430 in the town of Ellery. A fire official arrived and reported a shed “completely engulfed” with flames and threatening another nearby structure.

Photographs posted by the Bemus Point Fire Department showed the shed consumed by fire and later its remnants.

The fire was quickly doused, preventing flames from reaching the nearby structure.

In a message posted to Facebook, the Bemus Point Fire Department said a man admitted to starting a small fire inside the shed to stay warm; within minutes the fire spread to the contents.

St.Timothy reportedly used the shed to store supplies for its Honduras Missions.

The man remained on scene and was turned over to Chautauqua County sheriff’s deputies, the fire department said. No charges or further information were announced by the Sheriff’s Office by press time.

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