» Video: Blaze Guts Neighborhood Church
BOSTON -- Two people were injured after a five-alarm blaze ripped through a Boston church Thursday night, gutting the building and destroying a community center used by many in the neighborhood.
NewsCenter 5's Gail Huff reported that it took only minutes for the flames to destroy the Hyde Park church. Everyone made it out alive, but there were about 12 people inside the building when the blaze erupted, and they were warned to get out of the building.
"All of sudden my dad, he's the pastor of the church, he comes and says, 'There's a fire next door, run out,'" said Eddie Fuentes.
The fire started in an adjoining triple-decker house, apparently sparked by a man working in a first-floor apartment, according to fire officials.
The flames spread to the All Grace Harvest Church as a number of people were about to begin a church service. About 125 firefighters worked to quell the blaze and the church roof collapsed just minutes after crews were ordered out of the building. The man who apparently ignited the fire was burned and a firefighter was also hospitalized.
"The firefighter was transported with heat exhaustion and heat stress and the civilian has burns on his scalp and shoulder, maybe the hands. The church is a total loss," Boston Fire Chief Kevin MacCurtain said.
Church members managed to save a few of the church's musical instruments but little more. The Christian church also housed a children's school.
"This is a church that attracts a lot of nations. We have the Spanish, the Haitians and the Brazilians and Africans here, so it's like a community church, basically, and to see it just going down like this ... it's heart-wrenching," church member Jihane Belijacques said.
Community leaders said it's too early to determine whether they will be able to rebuild.
