MARANA, Ariz. (KGUN) — A fire ripped through Living Word Baptist Church Friday night, leaving busted windows, charred walls and a caved in roof in its wake.
Northwest Fire District responded to the fire, posting on X that it was under control after 11 p.m. Friday evening.
On Saturday morning, the church stood wounded with debris from the building littered throughout the parking lot.
Living Word Baptist has been in Marana on Sandario Road since 1945.
“That church has served the community for a longtime," said Rory Jones. "When Marana was a small town, everybody was there.”
Jones has lived in Marana his whole life. He attended Living Word Baptist Church as a kid, and says his dad went there as a teenager.
Jones was driving by the church Friday night as crews were working to put out the fire.
“You could see into it and there was just fire on the top of the building," he said, making the shape of the steeple with his hands. "It hadn’t quite poked out the roof yet but you could see it coming out the windows and everything. It was… It was in the building.”
He said by the time he was driving by again to get to work, he saw that the roof had caved in. Throughout the day, cars would slow down as they drove past the church, some even rolling down their windows to peek out.
“Oh it is the talk of the town," said Jones. "It’s shocking you know. Nobody can believe it. You know, there’s rumors of all sorts flying around but I think it’s just sad for the most part. It’s just a building, it’s the people inside that mattered and nobody got hurt. So, its a good day.”
Northwest Fire says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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Alex Dowd is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9, where her work combines her two favorite hobbies: talking to new people and learning about the community around her. Her goal is to eventually meet every single person in Tucson. Share your story ideas with Alex via email, alex.dowd@kgun9.com, or connecting on Instagram or X.
