SPENCER, Mass. — The Spencer Fire Department confirmed a lightning strike caused the massive six-alarm fire at a church in town Friday. 

Fire ripped through the First Congregational Church of Spencer, United Church of Christ. This is at least the second fire in the church’s history, as the original building was destroyed in 1862.

Friday’s flames were so strong, they caused the church steeple to collapse.

Spencer Fire Chief Robert Parsons says the property was razed by fire crews Saturday morning and is now covered with a tarp awaiting approval to be removed.

Parsons says they had 23 towns come in for mutual aid, with some coming from as far as Sterling and Ware.

There was also a cellphone tower on the steeple which was destroyed, but has since been replaced with some temporary towers. 

Parsons says this was unlike any fire he had seen before.

“We’ve always said that if we ever had a fire up there, we were going to have a big challenge because of the age of the building and, like you said, where it sits up on that terrace,” said Parsons. “It is certainly, probably in my lifetime, one of the biggest fires we’ve had. I’ve been doing this for 41 years. We had the Price Chopper supermarket that burned back in ‘98. We had some kids get killed in a fatal fire on Chestnut Street in the early ‘80s. But this was probably one of the most historic structures in town. This was a pretty big fire.”

Parsons says there were no reported injuries to both civilians or firefighters.

There was some damage to the senior living complex next to the church, as part of the roof caught fire from embers.

Parsons says the building was evacuated but everyone has since returned.