A firefighter was recovering and a community was heartbroken Monday night after a fire gutted an historic church in Duplin County.
Authorities said the blaze started around 8 a.m. at the Rose Hill United Methodist Church located at 314 E. Church Street. A member of the congregation filmed the fire as it consumed the church, which reportedly dates back to 1920. The blaze virtually destroyed the church building.
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“It just breaks my heart. It’s like a death, like a death in the family. It can’t ever be brought back to like it was,” said resident Susan Brown.
At least 50 firefighters raced to save the nearly 100-year-old church, but the roof eventually collapsed, forcing firefighters to back out.
The impact of falling shingles broke one firefighter’s arm.
“It moved quick on us. There was a lot of fire here when we got here,” said Duplin County Emergency Management Coordinator Matt Barwick. “It’s a tremendous loss for the community, one of the few churches left that are turn of the century churches.”
Although authorities said the sanctuary is a total loss, the fellowship hall remained intact, with some smoke and water damage.
Those who witnessed the destruction said two burned beams crossed together when they fell, making a familiar symbol of hope.
“If everybody would have pulled up and saw the cross, it just gave me so much comfort to know that even though it was so devastating, that Jesus was still with everybody,” Brown said.
Investigators were working Monday evening to determine the cause of the fire.