Building built in 1950s formerly housed Baptist church, fire chief says

Fire causes extensive damage to Flagler Playhouse (Copyright 2023 by WKMG ClickOrlando - All rights reserved.)

BUNNELL, Fla. – A Sunday night fire in Bunnell caused extensive damage to the Flagler Playhouse, according to Flagler County Fire Rescue.

Crews were called to the theater along East Moody Boulevard around 10 p.m., according to Fire Chief Michael Tucker. Video from the scene shows the fire tearing through the roof of the building.

Firefighters attempted to aggressively knock down the fire, but the flames proved too intense, the chief said.

It took crews several hours to bring the fire down to a manageable size, firefighters said.

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The chief believes portions of the main theater and some storage areas are not repairable. Firefighters said they did manage to save several props and some historic portions of the building.

Crews said the building was built in the 1950s and had been remodeled several times. The chief added that multiple ceilings and a tin roof made dousing the flames more difficult.

The state fire marshal will now investigate the cause of the fire, though the chief said he does not believe it to be suspicious.

According to the theater’s website, the building formerly housed a Baptist church before the theater purchased it in 2005.

The theater was set to debut a new production of “The Play That Goes Wrong” on Friday, Nov. 3.

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About the Author:

Thomas Mates is a digital storyteller for News 6 and ClickOrlando.com. He also produces the podcast Florida Foodie. Thomas is originally from Northeastern Pennsylvania and worked in Portland, Oregon before moving to Central Florida in August 2018. He graduated from Temple University with a degree in Journalism in 2010.