NEW YORK — Firefighters were still on the scene Sunday night battling a blaze inside a church in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
Flames erupted inside Our Lady of the Rosary Pompeii on Seigel Street just after 1 p.m. FDNY officials confirmed five people suffered minor injuries.
It was a fierce fire. Video shows the flames shooting out of the church. An employee said Easter Mass was underway with around 150 people in attendance when smoke began to fill the building.
It was heavy and it happened fast.
Immediately, the congregation was rushed out of the building as the fire spread.
Firefighters were seen dousing the building with water, trying to get the blaze under control.
The church is the staple of the community in Williamsburg, with many who live in the area having worshipped there for decades. Easter Sunday was no different.
Salvador Gonzales said he has been attending Mass at the house of worship for 60 years and now works there. He described the moment he saw the flames.
“I get scared and starting taking out everybody. ‘Get out! Get out! Get out!'” Gonzales said. “This is tremendous. This is my church. My church is second house to me. This is too much to much for me. My church is a second house to me.”
The fire caused a lot of disbelief to those who are a part of it, especially on Easter Sunday, a celebration of Christ.
The cause of the blaze has not yet been determined.
- In:
- Williamsburg
- FDNY
- Easter
- Church
