Massive Fire Levels Former Chalybeate Church Building Tuesday Afternoon
Flames can be seen shooting the roof of the Chalybeate Church building. PHOTO | Lynn Bledsoe
Lynn Bledsoe
Gimlet Managing Editor
CHALYBEATE, Ky. — A towering column of smoke could be seen for miles Tuesday afternoon as a fast‑moving fire tore through the former Chalybeate Church building, home to Scott Skaggs Photography and Eric Skaggs Cabinet Shop, leaving the structure in ruins.
The first call hit Edmonson County Dispatch just after 3:00 PM on February 3, reporting flames erupting from the historic building. Within minutes, firefighters arrived to find the structure already heavily involved, with fire pushing through the roof and threatening to spread.
Recognizing the severity, officials issued a county‑wide knockout, summoning every fire department in Edmonson County. Crews from Smiths Grove and Alvaton in Warren County also rushed in to assist as the blaze intensified. Warren county brought a ladder truck, that Edmonson does not currently have. The ladder was extended over the top of the building so firefighters could attack the fire from multiple directions.
Firefighters battled the inferno from multiple angles, working to protect nearby structures while contending with thick smoke and rapidly collapsing sections of the building. Despite the massive response, the former church, a familiar landmark in the Chalybeate community, was declared a total loss. The Chalybeate Church was built in 1913.
Aftermath of the fire shows a total loss to the church building. PHOTO | Lynn Bledsoe
No injuries were immediately reported, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.
The destruction marks a significant blow to the local businesses housed inside, as well as to the community members who remember the building’s long history.
More details will be released as officials continue their assessment.
