May 26, 2009 5:41 pm US/Eastern
Electrical Malfunction Caused Church Fire
MIDDLEBORO (WBZ) ―
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The steeple and a large section of the church were gutted by the fire.
WBZ
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Flames shot of out of the steeple at the Central Congregational Church early Monday morning.
WBZ
An electrical malfunction appears to be the cause of Monday's
fire at a church in Middleboro. That fire forced authorities to call off the Memorial Day parade in town.
Flames broke out inside the Central Congregational Church on Webster Street around 6:30 a.m. on Memorial Day.
The parade was supposed to march past the church before a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial across the street, but it took firefighters most of the morning just to bring the fire under control.
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No one was hurt.
Authorities said the church's interior was a total loss, but some religious items might be saved. "It's just shocking. We're thankful these firefighters were able to save, it looks like, the building, which is just a blessing," Pastor Bruce Smith told reporters.
"We're going to rebuild, we're going to come together and figure out what to do next."
The church was built in 1847.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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