Massive fire demolishes church in Westminster, firefighter injured

BALTIMORE - A firefighter was injured in a massive fire that destroyed a church, causing the roof to collapse, Thursday afternoon in Carroll County.

Dozens of firefighters contained the two-alarm blaze at Clearfield Bible Church, in the 1300 block of Old Westminster Pike in Westminster, according to the Maryland State Fire Marshal's Office.

Just piles of charred brick, wood and ashes remain.

"Just charred wood, just smoldering away, it's like nothing left," said neighbor Tracey Brooks. "The entire back of the church is completely gone, honestly the only thing left standing is the front wall." 

Firefighters arrived to find the brick church fully involved with heavy fire and smoke. The fire was elevated to a second alarm because of extreme afternoon temperatures and the need to add the tanker task force to bring water to the scene," fire officials siad.

The church suffered a complete roof collapse as well as two exterior brick wall collapses.

The firefighter was taken to the hospital and is expected to be OK.

Neighbors said a woman, who is a teacher at the church, was inside and safely escaped.

"Thank God Ms. Judy, she was one of the teachers, she was in the basement," said neighbor Mariette Ryan. "She got out in time. She thought she heard a lawnmower and she went to move her car and that's when she saw the smoke coming out of the belfry."

 Ryan, who lives down the street from the church, said she smelled the smoke from a mile away.

"I saw it before I could smell it. I saw the flames coming up," Ryan said. 

The church, a staple in the community, is a complete loss. 

"My daughter attended preschool here 18 years ago," Ryan said. "She's 21 now. She walked over and she was really taken back."

The cause of the fire is under investigation.