Somers church destroyed by fire

Somers, Conn. (WTNH) - A fire has destroyed the Somers Congregational United Church of Christ. 

The fire broke out at the Main St. church at 11:30 p.m. Firefighters received a call about smoke in the center of town. That smoke was coming from the basement of the church, and quickly turned into a raging fire.

"Within a short amount of time that fire had wrapped itself up into the main portion of the church," Chief Gary Schiessl, "and within 25 or 30 minutes the church had actually collapsed because it was fully engulfed in fire."

Video posted on YouTube by user somerslax22 shows the steeple collapsing. (Watch here)

In a post on its Facebook page the church said there would be a prayer service around Noon near Town Hall.  "Please keep our church in your prayers as we endure this difficult time," another Facebook post said.

According to the church's website the present day church was built in 1840 and the Congregation dates back to 1727. It once served as town hall, and it always served as a landmark. Members remember it as the classic New England church.

"There's two buildings in town I thought I would ever see burn," Chief Schiessel said. "One was the church here and the was the Somers Inn right down the street. And unfortunately one of those is now gone."

"It is just devastating to see this down to the ground like this and how something like this could go up so quick," said resident Tom Burgess.

Reverend Doctor Barry Cass has been leading the congregation for more than 3 decades. He rushed over when the fire first began.

"When I came over the fire looked small, then it just took off. It was like a box of tinder blowing up and I was standing over here when the steeple caved in," he recalled.

When it was clear the church was a loss, firefighters focused on saving neighboring buildings. They kept the fire from spreading, even though the flames were hot enough to melt the siding of town hall across the street.
   
The original 19th century church is gone, but in the 20th century, they built an addition on the back with a firewall. The firewall did stop the fire, so the rear building with its offices, day care and food pantry need to be cleaned up, but the Reverend says perhaps they can open that portion as early as next week.

No one was believed to be in the church at the time.