WMC-TV: News, Weather, Traffic, Radar, and Sports for Memphis, TN; WMCTV.com | Large fires heavily damage several downtown buildings

Large fires heavily damage several downtown buildings

Fires that broke out Friday morning in downtown Memphis have heavily damaged four buildings.

Firefighters first responded to a blaze the the historic First United Methodist Church at 2:30am.

Daylight showed the roof caved in, the steeple toppled and a smoking shell remaining. The Reverend Martha Wagley says no other building has ever stood at that corner, other than the current structure and previous buildings that housed the church.
    
The church has 270 members and Wagley says the congregation will worship Sunday in a Sunday School building they own.

A short time later, flames erupted a couple of blocks away at a building being renovated and spread to two other buildings, which were also part of the $45 million renovation project.

The embers from the church were seen blowing toward the other buildings, which later caught fire, including the 22-story Lincoln-American Tower, once the tallest building in the city.

The fire caused the closing of several downtown streets and disrupted some government operations. General Sessions and Circuit Court sessions for today are canceled.

No injuries were reported.

Due to the downtown fire, traffic has been blocked on the following streets:

• Jefferson Avenue between Second Street and Front Street
• Second Street between Exchange Avenue and Wasthington Avenue
• Poplar Avenue between Front Street and Third Street

To view photos of the fires submitted by Action News 5 viewers, click on the links in the "Internet Insider" box on the lower left side of this page.