Church catches fire in Homestead minutes before prayer meeting

Pastor hopes to rebuild after fire at Prayer & Deliverance Church of God in Christ

Pastor hopes to rebuild after fire at Prayer & Deliverance Church of God in Christ

BELIEVE AS TO HOW THIS FIRE STARTED? KYLIE: THE PASTOR THINKS THE FIRE STARTED IN THE FURNANCE ROOM WHICH IS ABOUT RIGHT HERE. IT IS ON YOUR TV SCREEN. USUALLY ON THURSDAYS, THEY HAVE PRAYER SERVICES AT 6:30. CHURCHGOERS ARRIVED IN DISBELIEF. >> THIS CAN’T BE. THIS IS LIKE A NORMAL THURSDAY NIGHT. COME HERE AND YOU DON’T EXPECT TO SEE ANYTHING LIKE THIS 59:44 -- THIS. KYLIE: FIREFIGHTERS ON LADDERS AND SMOKE BILLOWING INTO THE AIR. THURSDAY NIGHT’S FIRE AT HOMESTEAD’S PRAYER AND DELIVERANCE CHURCH OF GOD IN CHRIST COMES AS SHOCK TO CHURCH GOERS AND LEAD PASTOR BERNARD MARABLE. >> I STARTED SHAKING AND I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS WAS HAPPENING. KYLIE: THURSDAYS AT 6:30, MARABLE LEADS A PRAYER SERVICE INSIDE THIS BUILDING. WHEN HE GOT TO CHURCH TONIGHT , THE LIGHTS WERE OFF. HE CHECKED THE BREAKER BOX AND FOUND THE SWITCH WAS TRIPPED. HE FLIPPED THE LIGHTS BACK ON AND MINUTES LATER HEARD SOMETHING POP. >> IT WAS JUST A STRANGE NOISE AND I SAID OK LET ME FIND OUT WHAT THIS IS AND I LOOKED UP THERE. THERE WAS FIRE. KYLIE: VIDEO VIDEO SHARED WITH -- VIDEO SHARED WITH PITTSBURGH’S ACTION NEWS 4 SHOWS THE MINUTES AFTER THE FIREFIGHTERS GOT TO THE SCENE. KRISTA BURLEY AND TASHAYA STORTHERS LIVE NEARBY AND SAY THEY WERE WORRIED SOMEONE WAS INSIDE. >> I SEEN THEM BUSTING DOWN THE DOOR AND THINGS AND I’M JUST HAPPY THERE WAS NO ONE HURT . KYLIE: MARABLE SAYS HE WAS THE ONLY PERSON INSIDE WHEN THE FIRE BROKE OUT. TONIGHT NEIGHBORS HELPING THE PASTOR AND HIS FIRST LADY AS THEY FIGURE OUT HOW THEY’LL REBUILD A CHURCH THEY’VE HAD FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES. >> WERE GOING TO REBUILD. WE PRAY THAT PEOPLE RALLY AROUND

Church catches fire in Homestead minutes before prayer meeting

Pastor hopes to rebuild after fire at Prayer & Deliverance Church of God in Christ

A fire broke out at a church in Homestead on Thursday evening, minutes before a prayer meeting was set to begin. "This can't be," said Jeffrey Mitchell, a churchgoer. "This is like a normal Thursday night, you come here and you don't expect to see anything like this."Tap the video player above to watch Sky 4 video from the scene. Heavy smoke could be seen coming from Prayer & Deliverance Church of God in Christ in the 1100 block of Amity Street.The lead pastor of the church said they were scheduled to have a prayer meeting at 6:30 p.m. He said he heard strange popping noises when he turned on the lights inside and then the flames appeared. "I started shaking," said Bernard Marable, the lead pastor. "I can't believe this was happening."He said he believes the fire started in the furnace room. He said he was the only person inside when the fire started.The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.Marable said he hopes the community will help rebuild a church that has been in the neighborhood for more than two decades. "We're going to rebuild," he said. "We pray that people rally around us, support us until we're back on our feet."A GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the church has been set up at this link.

HOMESTEAD, Pa. —

A fire broke out at a church in Homestead on Thursday evening, minutes before a prayer meeting was set to begin.

"This can't be," said Jeffrey Mitchell, a churchgoer. "This is like a normal Thursday night, you come here and you don't expect to see anything like this."

Tap the video player above to watch Sky 4 video from the scene.

Heavy smoke could be seen coming from Prayer & Deliverance Church of God in Christ in the 1100 block of Amity Street.

The lead pastor of the church said they were scheduled to have a prayer meeting at 6:30 p.m. He said he heard strange popping noises when he turned on the lights inside and then the flames appeared.

"I started shaking," said Bernard Marable, the lead pastor. "I can't believe this was happening."

He said he believes the fire started in the furnace room. He said he was the only person inside when the fire started.

The Allegheny County fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.

Marable said he hopes the community will help rebuild a church that has been in the neighborhood for more than two decades.

"We're going to rebuild," he said. "We pray that people rally around us, support us until we're back on our feet."

A GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the church has been set up at this link.

Church catches fire in Homestead minutes before prayer meeting

Pastor hopes to rebuild after fire at Prayer & Deliverance Church of God in Christ

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