City fire officials said Sunday that firefighters were following routine procedure when they went inside the smoldering shell of a Hill District church to "surround and drown the hot spots." Charles G. Brace, 55, a battalion fire chief, and Richard A. Stefanakis, 51, a master firefighter, were in the vestibule of the ruins of the Ebenezer Baptist Church when the fire-weakened bell tower came crashing down Saturday afternoon, killing them and injuring 22 fellow firefighters. A city general services worker also was injured. Five other firefighters were hurt when they were caught in the backdraft in the early stages of the fire that destroyed the 131-year-old church along Wylie Avenue. Five firefighters remained hospitalized yesterday. Firefighters union President Joe King said none of the injuries -- including fractures, contusions, concussions and burns -- appears to be life-threatening, but some men might not be able to return to work. Deputy Chief David Manfredo and firefighter Don Santerello were in serious condition in Mercy Hospital, Uptown. Firefighters Bob Aubrey, Joseph Buckley and Alfred Glaze were in fair condition at Allegheny General Hospital, North Side. Fire Chief Peter Micheli Jr. said a board of inquiry -- consisting mainly of city firefighters -- will be convened to determine formally if proper procedures were followed and to determine if any additional safety precautions or changes can or should be made. "Right now, early indications are that everyone was doing the right thing and that this was an unfortunate accident," King said. Micheli agreed and said his department will cooperate with any investigations by outside agencies such as the International Association of Firefighters and the federal Emergency Management Agency. Assistant Fire Chief Art George said the roof of the church had already collapsed and the bulk of the fire was out shortly after noon Saturday when Brace, Stefanakis, Manfredo and others entered the vestibule -- the small entrance hall between the outside doors and the sanctuary. "There was no smoke, the ceiling was open, it was over as far as we were concerned," George said. Brace, who also acts as a safety officer, thought it was safe enough that he wasn't wearing the automatic alert devices that are standard equipment for firefighters who go inside burning buildings. The firefighters were setting up several fire hoses to "surround and drown" the fire, which was still burning in the rubble of the basement, King said. Some parishioners, such as church drummer Kevin Munnerlyn, said they couldn't understand why firefighters didn't let the fire burn itself out. "There was no reason for them to be in there," said Munnerlyn, 36, of Duquesne. "Let it burn. You can always replace a building." Malcolm Blount, 53, of Monroeville, chairman of the church's board of trustees, agreed: "You couldn't save anything ... so don't take any needless risks." But Micheli said firefighters always try to extinguish a fire. "This is normal procedure," Micheli said. "Otherwise, the fire would continue to burn for several days," making the area a danger to the community. A large crane was brought in late Saturday and the remaining portion of the bell tower was knocked down early yesterday, said Pittsburgh Public Works Director Guy Costa. Officials last night were concerned that the back wall may collapse. Emergency demolition bids will be solicited today so the building can be razed as soon as possible, Bureau of Building Inspection officials said. City firefighters had said the fire appeared to have started because of an electrical problem, but Micheli said yesterday the cause has not been determined and officials from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives are still investigating. The investigation is hampered because the fire is believed to have started in the area buried under the rubble of the bell tower collapse. The front wall of the church was knocked down yesterday to give investigators better access to the area. Micheli repeated, however, that there is no indication the fire's origin was anything but accidental. A woman preparing breakfast shortly after 8:30 a.m. Saturday for a church function noticed the smoke from an electrical outlet near the front of the church. The first fire alarm sounded at 8:46 a.m. The Rev. J. Val Alfred Winsett, the church's pastor, said fire officials told him a lot of electrical power was going into the building at the site where investigators believe the fire started. King identified other firefighters injured Saturday as James Bisbey, Richard Bollinger, David Borgese, James Buchman, Michael Burke, Robert Burke, Michael Clark, Thomas Fouch, Kevin Garafolo, Eric Greb, William Jenkins, Martin Kerrigan, Ryan Krull, Richard Krupa, John Libishak, Jim Kasan, Roy McDonald, James O'Connor, John Russell, Robert Sinicrope, James Tarbert and Lorde Thomas. Some were released from the hospital Saturday, others yesterday. The general services employee who was injured, Fred Bell, also has been released from the hospital.

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