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Investigators are searching for the cause of a fire that destroyed a North Manchester church Wednesday morning.
The North Manchester Church of the Brethren was ravaged by the fire that destroyed the main sanctuary. Damage has been estimated at more than $1 million.
Investigators from the State Fire Marshal's Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, and North Manchester Fire Department are working through the rubble of the 117-year-old church today to discover the cause of the fire.
A federal requirement mandates that ATF investigators look into every church fire nationwide, said North Manchester Fire Chief Jack Fetrow.
'At this point, we have absolutely no clue as to what may have caused the fire,' Fetrow said. He refused to speculate on where the fire may have started or its cause.
The fire swallowed the roof, back and parts of the sides of the building. However, firefighters worked to rescue furniture from the sanctuary, including a piano, several pews and chairs.
A police officer on regular patrol spotted the fire shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday. No one was injured in the fire.
More than 100 firefighters battled the blaze for over three hours before bringing the blaze under control. They said the building was heavily involved with flames when they arrived. Their efforts were hampered by a broken natural gas main that fed the fire.
The church building had several additions, including a $1.3 million education annex that was under construction.
