A church was destroyed by a fire Friday in Spencer, Massachusetts, and investigators say lightning was likely the cause.
A building was on fire at 207 Main Street, which is Massachusetts Route 9, according to the Spencer Police Department. The address is for the First Congregational Church of Spencer, United Church of Christ, a congregation that dates back to 1743, according to the church's website.
Police shared dramatic images of smoke pouring from the building, including the steeple.
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"The top of the building just came crashing down," said Krystal Sanchez. "It was terrible. There were people crying, it was really, really bad."
Sanchez lives nearby and said she saw a lightning strike just before the fire started.
"I was just sitting in my house and I heard the ambulance come. I really didn’t think anything of it but when I came outside there was just smoke and fire everywhere," she told NBC10 Boston.
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She added that she watched as the steeple of the church crumbled because of the flames.
"It was terrible. There was people crying, it was just an awful scene," she said.
Police have asked the public to avoid the area and expect detours.
The Spencer Fire Department also urged the public to stay away from the area and said firefighters from surrounding towns were being called in to help.
Local religious leaders said no one was inside the building at the time.
It wasn't immediately clear what caused the fire.
The church building that caught fire was built in 1863. The church's previous building was destroyed in a fire on New Year's Day 1862, according to the church's website.
Members of the congregation and the community are expected to gather at the First Congregation Church in Leicester on Sunday at 10a.m.
