A major fire caused significant damage to a church in Norristown, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday night. Fire crews continued to extinguish hotspots early Wednesday morning while also contending with cold and windy conditions that made controlling the blaze challenging.
The two-alarm fire broke out just before 7 p.m. on the 500 block of Dekalb Street at the Faith Tabernacle House of Prayer. Chopper 6 captured footage of heavy smoke billowing from the structure. Norristown Fire Chief Tom O’Donnell reported that the fire appeared to have started at the rear of the first floor and spread to the second-floor sanctuary.
Due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions inside, firefighters ultimately opted for a defensive strategy in battling the fire.
Church Deacon Paul Owens, who has called this church home for many years, expressed his sadness: “I was born and raised in this church. I started off as a musician, became the choir director, and was ordained as a deacon, moving up in the ranks. But that doesn’t matter now. To see this building like this is very depressing.”
The historic structure had previously served as a library and was used for various purposes before becoming a church. It had also experienced a fire ten years ago, and this incident follows recent renovations.
