Fire destroys church on Marvin Road

Messiah Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lacey was destroyed Sunday after a fire broke out in the attic space of the church, then tore through the roof of the structure, according to a Lacey fire official.

Lacey Fire District 3 Battalion Chief Ryan Fox described the building as a total loss. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, he said.

Although the fire was first detected by those participating in a Sunday morning church service, no one was injured, including firefighters, Fox said.

About 11 a.m., Lacey Fire, as well as several other fire departments, were dispatched to the 2700 block of Marvin Road Southeast. They discovered a lot of smoke after they arrived, Fox said. They first evacuated the church, then tried to overwhelm the fire with water.

Fire crews fought the fire for about 25 minutes, but the building was too far gone and had become unsafe, Fox said. They eventually decided to evacuate firefighters from the building and fight the blaze defensively, he said.

Fire crews were still on scene about 2 p.m. Sunday.

Lacey Fire District 3 received assistance from Olympia, Tumwater, South Bay, East Olympia and McLane/Black Lake fire departments, as well as law enforcement.

A damage estimate was not immediately available.

This story was originally published October 15, 2017 at 1:34 PM with the headline "Fire destroys church on Marvin Road."