The Rev. Howard Woodruff watches from fire command as area firefighters work at the scene of a fire at Calvary Baptist Church in Williamsport Wednesday evening. The fire caused great damage to the church. “The age of the building, the flammability of the wood in the structure. It’s just a nightmare,” said Woodruff, who has been a volunteer for several years. The structure is said to be about 135 years old. DAVE KENNEDY/Sun-Gazette

Last week at 42 Washington Blvd. As the investigation into the cause of a two-alarm fire at Calvary Baptist Church at Calvary Baptist Church continues, the pastor, the Rev. Howard Woodruff, has made arrangements for the congregation to conduct services at another house of worship for at least a year. next two weeks.

“On Sunday, the congregation enjoyed worship on the lawn outside the church.” Woodruff said in a brief interview Monday morning. “The congregation is doing very well. We remain optimistic and positive.” he said.

Woodruff had hoped that the ceremony could be held in Calvary’s adjacent fellowship hall, which was not damaged by the fire. However, heat and electrical service for the entire complex was turned off, he said.

It will likely be another two weeks before a utility company can restore service to the area Woodruff mentioned. “education building.” The state police fire marshal’s office is handling the investigation into the fire, which caused at least $100,000 in damage.

Although the fire chief’s office has completed work on the church, “The investigation is active and ongoing.” A cause has not yet been determined, according to a news release Monday by Cpl. Nathan Birth. The source of the fire appears to have originated in the basement, where city firefighters encountered heavy smoke as they passed by the building on their way to another incident at around 8:10 pm on October 23. Anyone with information about the fire is encouraged to call us. Police at 570-368-5700.

Representatives from the church’s insurance company and engineers were at the scene much of the time Monday, surveying the extent of the damage. The best-case scenario is for the church to be saved and all necessary repairs completed so the congregation can return to the sanctuary by Easter, Woodruff said.

But it was there “Fire damage to the building’s substructure and support beams” Woodruff added that depending on the extent of damage, there is a possibility that the church could collapse. “This is the worst case scenario” he added.

Since the fire, Washington Boulevard right in front of the church has been closed to traffic as a safety precaution. City Fire Chief Sam Aungst said Monday that although fencing has been installed around the building, there is still the potential for bricks to fall onto the street.

SERVPRO, the company contracted to clear the fire scene, hopes to provide access to an elevated platform that will allow workers to better support any loose bricks and other materials and allow the street to reopen to traffic quickly, Aungst said.