By SABRINA GARRETT
The Wilson Post

The Lebanon Fire Department responded to a fire at the Lebanon Church of God at 600 C L Manier Street just before 11 p.m. on Saturday night. Fire Chief Chris Dowell said that Lebanon Police Officers were the first to arrive on the scene and witness smoke coming from the back of the building.

“I had one neighbor tell me that they didn’t realize it was smoke and that they just thought it was a heavy fog,” Dowell said. “That shows you how far along it was.”

The fire department battled the fire until 4 a.m. on Sunday morning.

“I go to that church some and knew the layout of the building. I think I found the culprit was a heating element that they put in the baptismal pool – they had two baptisms that day,” Dowell said. “The heater shorted out.”