Two People Escape North Carolina Church Fire

SHELBY, N.C. --

Investigators will return to the scene of a massive church fire first thing Wednesday morning to look into the possible cause of the fire.

It took an hour for about 70 firefighters to bring the fire under control late Tuesday afternoon at the New Jerusalem Full Gospel Church on Gardner Street. Fire officials said they believe the fire started in the basement but quickly spread to the attic and roof of the building forcing firefighters to fight the flames from outside.

Sherwood Smith, a church member, was inside when the fire began. "We were sitting in the office and smelled smoke and about five minutes later we saw some fire," Smith said.

Smith quickly called 911 before getting out safely with another member. Church members watched the flames alongside Bishop Zavier Terrill, their pastor.

Terrill said it wasn't easy to watch the church they've worked so hard to renovate go up in flames. "To see the covering where we come to fellowship you know burn down it's a hurtful thing," he said.

Fire investigators didn't have a damage estimate Tuesday night but they did tell Eyewitness News the building, which was once home to Calvary Baptist Church, suffered heavy smoke, fire, and water damage.

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