Red Bank Church is on fire, right now

Click on the photos to enlarge them.

It feels like history is repeating itself.  Two years ago, I watched a fire gut St. Elmo UMC, down the block from where I live.  After the funeral of my former husband today, I came by Red Bank United Methodist Church, where the smoke was too thick to get good photos.  However, it seems only the church's Christian Activity Center (built in 1988) is burning, not the sanctuary.

Read more about the fire in Red Bank, here.  This report says the fire was apparently caused by lightning.

Open air and soggy books

Looking up ~ the shell of St. Elmo United Methodist Church with its melted windows.


Looking down ~ this pile of smoky, waterlogged, stuck-together books from the pastor's study.
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See photos of the fire by clicking here.

St. Elmo Church is ablaze, right now

St. Elmo United Mehodist Church is ablaze, right now, with flames leaping from the roof. (Click to enlarge photos below.)




I live in the same block, but across the street from this church. My power was off for hours, shortly after I got the first photo posted here. Power is back on, I have added more photos, and unfortunately the church is gutted.
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See the aftermath by clicking here.