Hours after Easter Sunday services, a fire tore through a church in Cambridge. Firefighters were still on the scene of the fire on Monday morning.
Hours after Easter Sunday services, a fire tore through a church in Cambridge. Firefighters were still on the scene of the fire on Monday morning.
Around six o’clock in the evening, crews responded to a report of a fire at Faith Lutheran Church on Broadway Terrace climbed ladders to the higher stories and smothered the raging flames with water.
Balls of blazing orange flame would occasionally erupt throughout the firefight, billowing clouds of black smoke out of the steeple.
Firefighters from numerous towns fought the flames for more than four hours before ultimately putting it out about ten o’clock in the evening.
Firefighters from Cambridge set up a collapse zone out of concern that the building may fall, but the church held up. Boston 25 was informed by Cambridge police on Monday that the church’s steeple would need to be demolished.
According to the church’s website, Easter services were held there at 10 a.m. Pastor Robin Lutjohann watched in horror as the century-old structure was consumed by smoke hours after giving the sermon.
“It is heartbreaking and it is…the day started very differently. We had a very joyous Easter celebration and now this,” said Lutjohann.
Local churchgoers expressed their devastation to Boston 25 News over the possibility of losing their house of worship.
“It is devastating,” said Kristin Griffin. “I was baptized there, and it is just a very close community for me.”
Diane Garner stated, “I am afraid there is long-term damage.”
Investigations continue to determine the fire’s origin.
