Deacon devastated by fire at church in Norristown, Pennsylvania: "It's a bad feeling"
Federal and state officials have been called in to investigate a large fire that broke out at the Faith Tabernacle House of Prayer in Norristown, Pennsylvania.
The fire started just before 7 p.m. on Jan. 7. at the church on 540 Dekalb Street, where fire officials said Wednesday morning that the church's pastor was inside making meals for the homeless when he heard a loud boom and saw flames.
Paul Owens, the deacon at Faith Tabernacle House of Prayer, said he's grateful nobody was injured in the blaze. Owens said he's been with the church his entire life and it crushed him to see firefighters battle the fire Tuesday night.
"It's so sad, I'm trying to keep myself together, but I'm just grateful nobody else got hurt," Owens said. "All the memories, the history of the church, it's a bad feeling," he added. "It's a bad feeling."
The fire was brought under control by 5:30 a.m., though crews were on the scene early in the morning to douse the church with water and put out hot spots. Norristown Fire Chief Tom O'Donnell said the church was heavily damaged, and video from Wednesday morning showed significant damage to the roof and windows.
Firefighters were battling cold conditions as well as the flames. Temperatures were below freezing overnight and areas that were doused with water froze overnight. Icicles could be seen hanging from power lines and there were several slippery surfaces around the church. Some vehicles parked near the scene were encased in ice.
Owens said the church has about 225 members who reside all over, including in Philadelphia and other parts of Montgomery County like Collegeville. He said they'll have to find a new place to worship due to the fire.
It's unclear how the blaze started, but Owens said it began at the back of the church. He was notified about the fire from a neighbor and he got down there as fast as possible.
Jorai LaPrince Sr., a minister at the church, said they're hoping for the best.
"At the end of the day, we're going to strive, we're going to continue to worship and we're going to continue to do what we need to do and hopefully rebuild," he said.
Chief O'Donnell said Pennsylvania State Police and representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are arriving Wednesday to join the investigation, and a structural engineer will take a look at the integrity of the church and surrounding buildings.
