Just a little more than 12 hours after finishing up the evening service on Christmas Day, Todd Wallace was back at the Pine Street United Methodist Church he pastors.

This time the occasion was not as joyous as the night before as Ironton city firemen were called around 11:30 Friday morning to put out a small blaze inside the church.

Standing around in the damp, cold drizzle that fell, Wallace and a handful of the 18 members of the church watched the firefighters go in and out of the white-frame building.

According to Ironton Fire Chief Tom Runyon, the source of the blaze was a candle that was thought to be extinguished, but apparently opened up into flame when the church was empty. The only damage appeared to be on wooden windowsills, Runyon said.

Wallace, who took over the church this past September, was home when someone called him to say a report about the fire had come across the police scanner. Looking at a broken window through which bystanders could see the firemen inside the church, the pastor said the fire looked to be near the pulpit area.

However, Wallace appeared philosophical about the incident saying whatever damage there is that “it can be rebuilt.

“God works in mysterious ways. It will all be OK,” he said. “He has grander plans than we understand. I’m thankful no one was inside.”

Watching his parishioners keeping vigil, Wallace started talking about the nursing home residents and recipients of food banks who got help from the church this Christmas.

“This is the most generous church in town,” he said.