FLORENCE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — A massive fire destroyed the Fountain of Life Center church in Florence Township, Burlington County Monday evening.
The fire started around 6 p.m. and quickly escalated to eight alarms. The church, which could seat up to 3,000 people, became engulfed in flames.
More than 150 firefighters spanning five different counties were called to the blaze.
A few people inside the church were able to escape unharmed.
Aerial video footage from SkyForce10 shows the level of devastation at the church:
“The area was very difficult for operations — very large building that had a very large footprint,” said Robert Tharp, the fire administrator of Florence Township. “We also had very limited water supply where we had to go to fill stations to bring water in to fight the fire.”
As crews worked to get the fire under control, church members stopped by to see the damage for themselves.
“It’s heartbreaking, it really is heartbreaking,” William Jackson told NBC10. “I can’t imagine those who’ve been here for 25 to 30 years what their hearts must feel like right now. It’s heavy.”
The fire continued to burn into Tuesday morning.
The school building remains intact, but classes have been canceled for the rest of the week.
Lead pastor Russell Hodgins told NBC10 the tragedy will force the congregation to come together and become stronger.
“The church is really not brick-and-mortar — that’s the building,” he said. “The church is really a body of believers, and this body of believers is strong. … We are going to go forward.”
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. There are no reported injuries at this time.
NBC10 is a broadcast partner of KYW Newsradio.
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