VIDEO/PHOTO: A massive fire tore through a church in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, on Wednesday morning, leaving damage and heartbreak behind.
The flames and smoke were pouring from the old stone Gethsemane Ministries building in Bangor.
Heavy smoke could be seen billowing from the church on South Main Street around 6:30 a.m.
Firefighters say they spent about an hour fighting the flames, trying to save the old church building.
Neighbors said they were heading out for the day when they noticed trouble.
“I got up after 6 this morning to warm my car to go to work,” neighbor Brian Metzgar said. “Some guy pulled in and said the church is on fire, call 911.”
Metzgar said he reacted quickly, alerting the family living next to the church.
“I went banging up on his door, waking them up, getting them out of the house, because if the fire had blown out the windows, it’s only ten feet into their house,” Metzgar said.
Emergency responders say they made it to the church within minutes.
KYW-TV CBS 3 Philadelphia
