Lightning strike causes destructive Chester County church fire
The flames swallowed the roof and heavily damaged the church's interior.
Officials responded to a fire that heavily damaged a Chester County church late Saturday, the North Coventry Township fire company said in a statement.
After police discovered that Coventry Hills Church of Christ was on fire, multiple departments and companies responded about 10:22 p.m., officials said. Photos show flames swallowing the roof and smoke billowing from the roof’s hole. A fire marshal said a lightning strike caused the fire, NBC10 reported.
“Within about a minute or two, we had fire break through the roof in the center of the building. So the fire kind of ran the roof line, so the damage is pretty heavy right now,” Norco Fire Company Deputy Chief Chuck Hipple told CBS3 at the scene.
Witnesses posted video of the damage on social media, depicting the church’s pews and pulpit littered with debris. Water could be seen dripping from the ceiling.
One firefighter suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene, CBS3 reported.