A lightning strike Thursday night (Aug. 20) set First Presbyterian Church of DeBary, FL, ablaze, destroying the 50-year-old building.
No one was reported injured in the blaze, which burned for more than three hours. The estimated cost of damages was not immediately known.
Witnesses told the Associated Press they saw numerous lightning flashes shortly before the DeBary church caught on fire. Local weather officials said there were more than 1,100 lightning strikes across Florida between 7 and 11 p.m. Thursday.
The 238-member First Presbyterian Church of DeBary is a member of Central Florida Presbytery. The pastors is the Rev. John W. Pope. The Rev. Lewis W. Bullard is pastor emeritus.