Historic Lombard church escapes damage in small fire

No one was injured and damage was minimal Monday after a small fire outside the historic Maple Street Chapel on Main Street in Lombard, authorities said.

A member of the Maple Street Chapel Preservation Society, Ken Bohl, said he was working around 10:30 a.m. to install a railing on a ramp on the west side of the building when he found a small area of rotted wood that was damp from Sunday night's rain. He said he thought he could dry the spot by blowing hot air on it with a heat gun. But when he saw the wood starting to burn, he called the fire department.

"I never saw anything more than embers, but I knew I should call," Bohl said. "I don't know if that fire would have spread or not if I hadn't called."

Bohl said firefighters saw some smoke inside the building.

But Fire Marshal Chuck Riforgiate said there was no damage to the interior of the historic church, which was dedicated in May 1870 at the southwest corner of Main and Maple streets. The fire was confined to the small area outside the church and caused only minor damage to the exterior wall.

Bohl said he's been cleared to continue working on the building, but did not plan to do anything additional Monday.

Work to install a railing on the church wall is part of ongoing maintenance Bohl is conducting on the American Gothic-style chapel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Firefighters pulled away a layer of the church's outer wall in a rectangle a few feet wide and a couple of feet tall where the wood caught fire.

Firefighters had cleared the scene by noon, leaving the area damp from water used to put out the fire. Bohl said that caused a slight setback.

"I've got a little bit more work than I started out with," he said.