Church fires are not uncommon, as several reports have been released regarding fires; it may be arson, an accident, or a cause of a natural calamity.
On Monday morning, the St. Peter Catholic Church in Montgomery, known as the oldest Catholic church in the area, experienced a fire after lightning struck by lightning in its bell tower.
Lighting Strike Started Fire on Church
In the article in Montgomery Advertiser, according to Father Saleth Mariadoss, lightning struck the tower and caused the fire to spread out from the back side of the church. As a result, the church will require repairs before it can resume holding masses.
After the St. Peter Catholic Church in Montgomery caught fire on Monday morning due to a lightning strike, Montgomery firefighters promptly arrived at the scene at 9:11 a.m. According to Assistant Chief Stanley Cooper, no injuries were reported from the fire.
According to The Colestin Rural Fire District, they must interact with other environmental conditions for fires to result from lightning. Sufficient heat production from lightning, weather, and fuel conditions must be present to ignite combustible materials.
The most effective fire starters are "dry" lightning storms, which occur after droughts or dry seasons and from which little precipitation reaches the ground. These batteries generate lightning strokes responsible for over 10% of the total fires annually in the United States alone.
Also Read: Northside Community Church, Saved from Fire with Only Minimal Damage by Paterson Firefighters
Other Fires Reported
At around 6:11 a.m., firefighters were called to a vacant convenience store at 11515 Highway 249 in Harris County. According to ABC 13, while fighting the fire, a bystander alerted them that the former church across the street in the 11500 block of West Montgomery Road was also on fire.
Nine fire departments and at least 60 personnel were dispatched to the scene, but due to the lack of fire hydrants in the area, a heavy water shuttle had to be used to extinguish the flames and hot spots.
The former church was in the process of being renovated into a commercial building, and it was unclear who owned the structure. Investigators are investigating whether the fires were related to or resulted from criminal activity. Despite the fires being near Klein Intermediate and Nitsch Elementary Schools, classes were not affected.
A historic church in Burlington County was devastated by a fire, leaving the community in mourning for their place of worship. Recently, there have been several reports of church fires, some suspected of arson, while others are believed to be accidents. According to a report in Christianity Daily, on Monday evening, personnel were called to the Fountain of Life Center on Columbus Road, where an eight-alarm fire had broken out.
The intensity of the flames caused the church's roof to collapse, along with its iconic cross. William Jackson, a church member, expressed his sadness, calling it "heartbreaking" and "heavy." In contrast, another member, James Brown, described the cross as a symbol known in the area for decades and assumed to be a permanent fixture. The Fountain of Life Center is a large church with a capacity of up to 3,000 people and has another location in Trenton, New Jersey.
Related article: Burlington County Community Mourns As Historic Church Falls Victim to Devastating Fire
