Vallejo Church That Was Red-Tagged Following Napa Earthquake Is Cleared By Inspectors To Reopen
VALLEJO (KCBS) – A Vallejo church, that was red-tagged as a result of Sunday's 6.0 earthquake, has been deemed structurally sound by inspectors and is once again open.
The First Baptist Church is dedicated to helping the needy. Pastor Mike Brown said on Monday, city officials red-tagged the building after he did his own inspection.
"Everything on the outside looked good, but the inside, I didn't know," Pastor Brown said. "I looked at all the bolts, all the connections, all the bricks and I saw the cracks, then I called 911."
Cranes were used to remove 2-3 feet of bricks from the top section of the church tower on Monday night, after inspectors said they felt the structure could collapse.
"Nobody goes up there. But we're going to go up there to make it water tight and fix the wood," Brown said.
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With inspectors giving the all clear on Tuesday afternoon, Pastor Brown said he's happy to get the kitchen back open. The church's meal service didn't miss a beat, as the Salvation Army served lunch from trucks in the parking lot while they were closed on Tuesday.
"The food is very important for people because a lot of times, it's the best meal they get during the day," he said.
First Baptist Church serves 55,000 meals each year.