Cliff Pinckard

cleveland.com

(TNS)

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Authorities suspect a lightning strike was responsible for starting a fire Monday morning that destroyed a Columbus church.

Flames were reaching 30 to 40 feet when firefighters arrived at Cherry Creek Church shortly before 4 a.m., according to WCMH Channel 4. More than 50 firefighters and a dozen fire engines responded to the scene.

“I was shocked. I went into the living room, turned on the news and saw our church was on fire,” the church’s pastor, Bob Peterson, told WBNS Channel 10.

One side of the church’s roof caved in because of the fire, WCMH reports. No one was in the building at the time and there were no reported injuries.

“Lightning strike fires will sit and smolder in attic spaces for a while and take time with no one being here at the church,” Battalion Chief Bryan Barnhart told WCMH. “It will slowly start to build and build and by the time it shows itself, it’ll be like that and completely through the roof.”

It took about 40 minutes to extinguish the fire and the building was considered a “complete loss,” Barnhart said.

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