Day care briefly evacuated after furnace fire at northeast Cedar Rapids church

CEDAR RAPIDS - Officials confirmed Tuesday that a fire that briefly displaced a before school day care program Tuesday morning was sparked by a faulty switch inside the building's furnace.

Cedar Rapids firefighters responded to St. James United Methodist Church, 1430 Ellis Blvd. NW, at 8:15 a.m. after smoke was seen coming from the second floor furnace room. Cedar Rapids public safety spokesman Greg Buelow said the church is home to a before school day care program. When crews arrived, 25 to 30 occupants were outside the church, safe and accounted for. Buelow said the students were quickly loaded onto buses and taken to their respective schools.

Fire firefighters encountered some heavy smoke from the second floor, but the church's maintenance employee is being credited with knocking down the flames near the furnace before their arrival with an extinguisher. Firefighters remained on the scene to ensure the fire - caused by a faulty high-limit switch in the furnace - didn't spread to other areas of the church, but no fire extension was found.

Officials said a furnace maintenance issue or a plugged furnace filter may have led to the fire, but that the furnace's fail-safe did not function properly.

Buelow said fire damage appears to be limited to the furnace room and there was some smoke damage to the second floor and attic. There were no reported injuries to civilians or firefighters.

Carol Sundberg, the pastor for First United Methodist, said the church did not sustain any water damage and will rely on an auxiliary furnace for the time being.

KCRG-TV reporter Dave Franzman contributed this report.