BY SCOTT LYONS
Volumes of information have been generated over the years concerning fires in churches, cathedrals, synagogues, and other houses of worship. In examining the buildings prior to an incident, we discover the difficulties facing us when we consider the construction and contents of these buildings, which include large, open, vertical void spaces; steeply pitched roofs; high ceilings; and the potential for damage to irreplaceable items such as stained glass windows, artifacts, and works of art. If we do encounter a fire in a house of worship and are unlucky in our attempts to suppress it early, the lessons we learn concern multiple large-caliber streams; collapse zones; exposure protection; and, in the worse case, the death of a member.
However, despite having learned so many lessons from our own experiences and those of our predecessors, additional issues involving houses of worship of which firefighters should be aware recently have arisen. The term "church" in this article refers to any house of worship and its congregation, regardless of denomination. The term nowadays implies much more than just a weekly assembly point for the faithful, and the building's appearance may be quite different from the traditional steeple-topped structure.
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