Pastor believes fire at Englewood church was intentional
CHICAGO (CBS) – After Universal Temple of Christ and Training School caught fire early in the morning, Rory Holloway heard the sirens and started recording on the Citizen App. He captured the moments flames ripped through the front door at 55th and Damen.
Within a split second the explosion threw several Chicago firefighters to the ground.
"I think they took one or two to the hospital just in case. Didn't look like too many people was hurt, but it was pretty scary this morning," Holloway said.
A mayday call was sent out, which means all of the firefighters weren't accounted for because of how thick the smoke grew.
Flames also tore through the roof, which collapsed.
"Behind right here on the door, you could see flames, big flames," said neighbor Juan Delatorre.
"This is just unreal, this has to be a nightmare," said Pastor Edrena Bell.
She believes this fire was intentional.
"We just had our church cleaning lady, she was just down here Wednesday, cleaning the church and doing her walk through and everything was in order," she said.
In fact, the Chicago Fire Department's Office of Fire Investigation and the State Fire Marshal Arson Investigator were on scene for hours.
Bell said this was a family church handed down from generation to generation.
"We just ordained my son as a minister last week for him to be able to take over and run the church," she said. "What kind of family legacy does he have now?"
CFD officials say the injured firefighter has been released from the hospital.
The pastor says the church will hold its sermon Sunday at its sister church.
Investigators are still looking into what caused the fire.