DANVILLE, Ky. --
Wrecking crews were forced to demolish a staple of Danville's religious community Monday.
The Church of God of America caught fire Sunday night around 6 p.m. in the 400 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard.
In only minutes, more than 50 years of history was destroyed."From birth, I was raised in this church. I'm 24 years old now," said church member Isaiah Screetch.
Screetch is a longtime member of the predominantly African-American church.
"A lot has happened in that building. This used to be one of the best churches. People would attend from everywhere," said Screetch.
Church members said if there was a blessing in the situation, it's that there was no one inside when the church caught fire. That almost wasn't the case. A service scheduled for 6 p.m. Sunday was canceled.
"It would have been crazy if they hadn't canceled. Most of the people are older, so getting out or panicking would have been crazy," Screetch said.
The entire inside and much of the outside of the church was destroyed by the fire.
The fire left the shell of the church unstable and a danger to neighboring businesses.
"Unfortunately, we're losing a big part of Danville's community, but it's in the best interest of safety,"said Danville Fire Department Chief Mike Thomas.
Federal officials, along with state and local fire officials, are investigating the cause. Federal law requires an investigation into any church fire.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is working to find out if there are any indications of a hate crime.
The cause of the fire remains unknown.
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