4-alarm fire devastates Vineland church
VINELAND, N.J. (CBS) -- Firefighters placed a four-alarm fire at Voice of Deliverance New Covenant Church in Vineland under control around midnight. The fire broke out around 10 p.m. Monday on the 1400 block of East Chestnut Avenue.
Investigators say the fire caused severe damage to the church and displaced residents living in a unit at the back of the property.
"This is our home. Where else are we supposed to go?" a woman who was displaced said. "This is the house of the Lord and it's gone."
Arlene Felicioni lives right next door to the church, and she had to evacuate her home while firefighters put out the flames.
"Oh my God, it was horrendous," Felicioni said about the flames. "They were just shooting up into the sky. It was like, by the time I got on the porch and by the time my family came, it was incredible."
She's glad no one was injured in the fire.
"I'm just praying for everyone involved," Felicioni said. "I'm glad that everyone was safe, that was the main thing."
"They tried to knock it down and it just started traveling through the whole roof area," Vineland Fire Chief Luigi Tramontana Jr. said. "And we went right away to a second alarm to get some more manpower, some more aerial devices, and then the fourth alarm would bring another aerial device."
The church said in a statement, "Right now, we are trying to process the loss. Once we have more information as to the cause of the fire we will have more to say. God is good and he always provides for his people. As of this moment, we don't have any information regarding upcoming services, but will be looking into alternatives tomorrow."
In total, about 70 firefighters from 21 different companies were called in to help battle the blaze.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
