Photos/Story by Kathy Bittner
On Saturday morning, November 17 at around 3:02 A.M., the California Volunteer Fire Department, California, Pennsylvania was dispatched to a church fire located in a residential neighborhood in Coal Center, Pennsylvania.
Upon arrival, units reported a working structure fire and requested a second alarm.
Departments responding included California, Roscoe, Stockdale, South Brownsville, Bentleyville, Richeyville and Fallowfield Twp. with 65 firefighters and 15 pieces of equipment.
The 1 story wood frame structure with a tin roof, was the former St. Thomas Aquinas Roman Catholic Church . The church was closed in 1960 and was mainly used for storage.
The State Police Fire Marshall was unable to determine the fire's cause and origin and is under further investigation.
Units remained on scene during the day knocking down hotspots and performing overhaul.
