Massive Fire Destroys Fellowship Hall At Somerset County Church

By: KDKA-TV News Staff

HOOVERSVILLE, Pa. (KDKA) - A single spark sometime before 8:30 Friday morning would be the beginning of the end for the fellowship hall at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Hooversville, Somerset County.

The Boswell Fire Department shared photos on Facebook Friday morning of bright flames shooting out of the roof and black smoke billowing around the church.

"We had heavy smoke showing, it was blowing out the eaves of the roof with heavy smoke and progressed from there and worked across the roof," said Hooversville Assistant Fire Chief Chad Maurer.

With each passing moment as the flames got higher, it seemed another fire department arrived on scene, one by one, trying to help in a desperate situation.

The fellowship hall and rectory are total losses.

As the flames slowly crept toward the untouched sanctuary, firefighters took to the roof to cut vents. It worked, saving that scared space.

"The biggest challenge we had was water issues and the cold temperatures. It was in the roof. We were trying to save the church as much as possible. We did, there's minimal damage to the church," said Maurer.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Two firefighters were injured and treated at the scene.

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• Fire