What to Know
- Fire has destroyed a large New Jersey church, collapsing its roof as more than 150 firefighters fought to control the blaze. "We lost the entire sanctuary, just a complete and total loss," lead Pastor Russell Hodgins told NBC10.
- The Fountain of Life Center in Florence Township, Burlington County, was engulfed in flames Monday night.
- No injuries were reported in the fire. The cause wasn’t immediately known.
More than 150 firefighters battled a massive fire that reached eight alarms and destroyed a church in Burlington County, New Jersey. At one point the cross above the sanctuary could be seen falling into the inferno.
The fire began on Monday around 6 p.m. at the Fountain of Life Center on 2035 Burlington Columbus Road in Florence Township and continued into the night as flames fully engulfed the building.
"It's heartbreaking," William Jackson, a church member, told NBC10. "It really is heartbreaking. I can't imagine those who've been here for 25, 30 years, what their hearts must feel like right now. It's heavy. It's heavy."
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SkyForce10 was over the scene Monday night as firefighters battled heavy smoke and flames that caused the roof of the sanctuary -- as well as the cross on top of it -- to collapse.
"Everybody's known that cross here in the entire area for 25, 30 years," James Brown, a church member, told NBC10. "So it's just something's gone that was always here. That everybody thought would always be here."
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The church, which also has a location in Trenton, New Jersey, was large enough to seat up to 3,000 people.
"The area was very difficult for operations," Florence Township Administrator Robert Tharp said. "Very large building that had a very large footprint. We also had very limited water supply where we had to go to fill stations to bring water in to fight the fire."
No injuries were reported as church staff darted from the building as the flames started to spread.
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Firefighters were still working to put out the flames late Monday night. They were able to stop the fire from spreading to an adjacent school.
The fire was finally placed under control after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Burlington County dispatchers said.
As the sun rose Tuesday morning, the extent of damage could be seen with a haze rising over the gutted structure. Officials estimated the fire caused $24 million to $30 million in damages.
"We lost the entire sanctuary, just a complete and total loss," lead Pastor Russell Hodgins told NBC10. "The school building did stay in tact, so we are super grateful for that."
Members of the Pentecostal church told NBC10 work was recently being done to the building's HVAC system. Fire officials said it's too early to determine a cause however.
With Easter approaching, this is a time for rebirth for the congregation.
"We're gonna come together, and it's going to make us stronger and we're gonna go forward," Hodgins said.
The Fountain of Life Center pastor said they will hold their normal Sunday service in the athletic building on their property, which was not damaged by the fire.
"The church is really not brick and mortar -- that's the building -- but really it's a house of prayer," Hodgins said. "The church is really the body of believers and this body of believers is strong."
