DALLAS – Firefighters are battling a massive four-alarm fire at First Baptist Dallas downtown.
The initial call came in just after 6 p.m. to 1717 San Jacinto St.
A church spokesman initially said thick smoke was coming from the historic sanctuary.
The church is listed on the Dallas City Historical Commission website. The sanctuary was opened in 1890 and was used until members moved to their new location in 2013, said Dr. Robert Jeffress, senior pastor of the 16,000-member church.
According to the Dallas Fire Department, crews arrived at 6:09 p.m. to find heavy smoke and fire. A second alarm was sounded at 6:20 p.m. The alarm was raised from two to three around 7:30 p.m., then to four around 8:15 p.m.
First Baptist Church has a building complex in the downtown area. The streets around the church are closed.
No injuries were immediately reported.
