Claremore’s Christ Presbyterian Church burns to ground
By Mike Strain

CLAREMORE – The Bible’s cover was missing and the pages soaked. But at least something could be taken from the charred mess.

“This doesn’t belong on the ground,” Claremore fire official Marty Osborne said as he handed the water-logged book to Christ Presbyterian Church pastor Dave Schwenk.

The church was destroyed late Saturday night in a raging blaze that required assistance from fire departments from across Rogers County. The cause is still being investigated, and one injury was reported, a firefighter treated for heat exhaustion.

As Schwenk looked at the century-old structure on a rainy Sunday afternoon, only rubble remained – piles of 100-year-old stones, charred wood and warped metal burned black from the intense heat. What could be salvaged?

“Nothing,” Schwenk said. “It won’t be worth going through.”

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