MOUNT HOLLY, N.C. — Officials have determined what caused a fire that destroyed a church sanctuary earlier this summer in Mount Holly.
The 90-plus year-old First Baptist Church caught fire around 3:10 p.m. on July 22. No one was inside the church at that time.
The Gaston County Fire Marshal’s Office determined that before the fire broke out, workers had been performing hot work using a propane torch and a patch to repair a roof leak at the church.
Debris was ignited, spreading fire to the roof of the church, investigators said.
Officials were able to contain the fire in the sanctuary, saving the remaining buildings that make up the church.
Although there were reports of lightning in the area at the time of the fire, the investigation found that lightning did not strike the church.
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