Fire destroys part of historic church in New Jersey; investigators look into whether lightning caused the blaze

NEW JERSEY.– A voracious fire caused serious damage to a historic church in the state of New Jersey, where authorities are investigating whether the blaze was caused by a lightning strike during a storm recorded in the area.

The fire spread rapidly through the temple structure, consuming much of the roof and other areas of the building. The magnitude of the flames forced the intervention of numerous fire departments, which worked for several hours to prevent the fire from spreading to nearby properties.

According to initial investigations, authorities consider one of the main hypotheses to be that lightning struck the church shortly before the fire began. However, the origin of the fire remains under investigation and has not yet been officially confirmed.

Images released from the scene show the roof partially collapsed and a dense column of smoke visible from different points in the community. Despite the intensity of the fire, authorities reported that no injuries were recorded, as the building was empty when the flames began.

Specialized teams will inspect the structure once cooling efforts conclude to determine the extent of the damage and establish whether the property can be restored. In the meantime, the congregation is evaluating alternatives to continue holding their religious services at another location.