Aug 26, 2026
Poplar's Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Destroyed by Fire
Press Release from Poplar Volunteer Fire Department: Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church Fire
On Tuesday, at approximately 2:05 a.m., our department was paged to 1st Avenue West for a report of heavy smoke coming from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church.
Upon arrival, the first engine crew immediately made an interior entry on the north side of the structure to assess the situation and begin firefighting operations. Firefighters located and extinguished flames in the center of the cathedral before backing out of the structure to allow the heavy smoke to vent and clear.
Once conditions improved, firefighters made another interior entry to locate the source of the fire. They discovered that the fire had extended into the ceiling and rafters and was rapidly spreading throughout the structure.
Due to the rapidly advancing fire and conditions inside the building, firefighters backed out and transitioned to a defensive exterior attack. Additional resources were requested, and the Culbertson Volunteer Fire Department was immediately paged for mutual aid.
We would like to extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation to every first responder who answered the call this morning and worked tirelessly during this tragic loss to our community.
We also want to sincerely thank everyone who brought food, drinks, and other support to our crews throughout this difficult incident. Your kindness and generosity meant a great deal to our firefighters.
Many of our crew members remained on scene for approximately 17 straight hours, while also responding to two gas line breaks later in the afternoon.
This was an extremely difficult incident for our community, and we are incredibly grateful for the dedication of our firefighters, mutual-aid departments, first responders, and the community members who stood behind us throughout the day.
Thank you to everyone who answered the call, supported our crews, and helped our community during this tragic loss. At this time the scene has been turned over to the local and federal authorities for further investigation.
