Fire Severely Damages Ephrata Church Sunday Morning

About forty firefighters from agencies across Grant County battled a fire at the Ephrata Methodist Church on C Street Northwest Sunday morning.

Grant County Sheriff's PIO Kyle Foreman said a candle left burning in a bathroom overnight has been ruled the cause. The fire extended from the bathroom into a nearby office and then into the attic.

Crews arrived at the scene around 8:40 am.

"It took about two hours to bring that fire under control. The fire did burn through the roof of the structure." explained Foreman, "There is extensive fire damage in the one portion of the church and heavy heat and smoke damage in the sanctuary portion of the church."

Units departed the scene by 3:00 pm. Resources from the Ephrata and Moses Lake Fire departments, Grant County Fire Districts 3, 5, 7 and 13, and the Grant County Sheriff's Office all responded. There were no injuries.

Other houses of worship in Ephrata have reportedly already reached out to staff at the Ephrata Methodist Church to offer a place to meet while the church is rebuilt.