BEAVER FALLS, Pa. --
An intense firefight gutted a 100-year-old church in Beaver Falls and forced part of the Big Beaver Falls Area School District to operate on a delay Wednesday morning.
The fire burned for several hours in the 1800 block of Seventh Avenue, but firefighters brought it under control before 7 a.m.
Beaver Falls Fire - Home Video
"The church just burst into flames. It was so intense, I never seen nothing like that," said Joe Caravella, who tried to alert other neighbors about the fire. (Watch The Video)
Fire Chief Mark Stowe said the fire started at about 2:30 a.m. at a commercial building with apartments on the second and third floors.
The fire spread to another commercial building with apartments on the upper two floors, as well as a third building and a church.
"A lot of people didn't believe me," Caravella said. "I said, 'fire, fire, you gotta get out of here.' I had to pull some people out. One lady had her baby. I told her kids, 'Just run.'"
Some people who live in the apartments had to jump to safety, and one person had to be rescued, WTAE Channel 4's Ari Hait reported.
"I was scared. I come out and seen the flame, and I lost everything," neighbor Mary Cron said.
Several people were taken to local hospitals. Their injuries were mostly minor, Hait reported.
Eric Brewer, of Beaver County Emergency Services, said there was a two-hour delay at Beaver Falls High School, Beaver Falls Middle School and Central Elementary School because of the fire.
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