Hundreds of firefighters could not extinguish the blaze from the Fountain of Life Center Church in Florence Township, New Jersey. Luckily, no injuries have been recorded; however, nearby school classes were cancelled.
Fire at The Fountain of Life Center Church
The blaze started a little after six o'clock on Monday evening Mar. 20. According to the officials who spoke to Action News, the children who reported seeing smoke were engaged in a game of basketball at the back of the Fountain of Life Center Church in Florence Township. Flames fully consumed the building in a short amount of time after the fire broke out. The fire district administrator for the Florence Township Fire Department, Robert Tharp, stated that more than 150 firefighters from various parts of South Jersey and Pennsylvania came to assist in putting out the fire and supplying water.
CBS News reported that Flames completely consumed the front part of the church, and the roof eventually gave way. The firefighters' main objective was to prevent the fire from spreading to a K-12 school building adjacent to the blaze.
Tharp said that the firefighters performed an outstanding job of attempting to put out the fire from the inside. Still, due to the scale of the building and the quantity of fire there, they were forced to modify their operation to a defensive action. At this moment, there have been no reports of any injuries. The authorities are currently investigating the origin of the fire at this time. Moreover, the classes scheduled for approximately 300 students will be cancelled.
On the other hand, a senior pastor at the Fountain of Life Center, Russell Hodgins, said, "It's a devastating loss." However, the pastor asserted that the congregation is more important than its physical structure.
Also Read: Northside Community Church, Saved from Fire with Only Minimal Damage by Paterson Firefighters
Challenges in Stopping the Fire From The Fountain of Life Center Church
As per the Courier Post, Robert Tharp, the supervisor of Florence's fire district, said that the size and layout of a huge church in this area made it more difficult to put out an eight-alarm blaze than it would have been otherwise.
Also, the lack of fire hydrants in the surrounding region presented a problem for the water supply at the Fountain of Life Center, which is located in a rural location. According to a statement released by the Burlington County Commissioners on Tuesday, Mar. 21, more than 50 different fire departments, companies, and organizations reacted to a fire that broke out at a complex that included a major church, a private school, and other structures. Furthermore, over 200 firefighters were working to put out the fire at the scene. They mentioned that it was the largest fire emergency in Burlington County since 2013 when an 11-alarm fire damaged a Dietz & Watson business in Delanco. "Our thoughts are with the church's congregation and school community who have been impacted. The devastating loss will be felt by our entire county," officials' added.
As mentioned, the fire was active from at least six o'clock in the evening on Monday, Mar. 20, until early on Tuesday morning, Mar. 21. Tharp indicated that the damages might exceed $24 million. In addition, local and federal agencies are collaborating to identify the cause of the church fire.
Related Article: Burlington County Community Mourns As Historic Church Falls Victim to Devastating Fire
