More than 100-year-old building donated for firefighter training

ORANGE PARK, Fla. — A building sitting on Kingsley Avenue went up in flames Thursday. The fire started on the west end and then quickly spread throughout the rest of the building.

But this wasn’t an accidental fire; the city was prepared.

“We also used it for SWAT training, police training, and the last two months doing drills in it,” said Orange Park fire Chief Alvin Barker.

Grace Episcopal Church owned the building.

“Builders said it could cost $300,000 to half a million dollars to redo,” said the Rev. Kendron Nichalson.

“The floors were slanting in all different directions,” said Barker.

The church and the fire department made a deal that local first responders could burn it down as a training exercise.

“They got a lot of experience about working in dark atmosphere, they got hose pumping and ladder operations,” said Barker.

It was an intense view that a member of the Orange Park Historical Society said he wasn’t ready to see.

“It's all old wood, this and that, and it's going to be gone,” said Orange Park Historical Society member Kenny Radwanksi.

We checked online and couldn’t find it on any national registry. The chief said there’s a reason for that.

“It’s not on any of the historic registries at all. We checked before we accepted the house to train in and checked with the property appraiser. The home went under a major renovation in 1983, which took all the value away from it,” said Barker.

Nichalson said they do have plans for the space once it’s clear.

“What we hope is a green space, some sort of open playground field,” said Nichalson.

The chief said this area could be smoldering for 30 days. They will be looking over it and also have tape around it so no one goes near.

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