5-alarm fire at Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, New Jersey, sparked by lightning strike, church officials say

July 5, 2026 · 1 min read

5-alarm fire at Fellowship Alliance Chapel in Medford, New Jersey, sparked by lightning strike, church officials say 6abc Philadelphia

Source: GN: New Jersey · Read the full story →

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💬 Comments (12) 🌐 Show original

Hannah Adams

That's awful. A lightning strike on the roof during a storm makes sense, but losing the whole building must be heartbreaking for the congregation. Hope no one was hurt and they can rebuild soon.

Μαρία Παππά

Shame on the church. The lightning struck the roof and became a five-wire, the article says – at least no one was hurt. I hope they find a way to rebuild quickly.

Галина Голубева

It’s a pity for the church, lightning hit the roof directly, as they wrote in the article. It's good that no one was hurt. I hope the parishioners will quickly find somewhere to gather while the restoration is underway.

Ion Florea

Too bad for the church, the lightning hit the roof exactly as the article says. Good thing no one was hurt. I hope they quickly find a temporary place for the parishioners to gather until they fix it.

Николай Христов

It's a pity for the church, just as they say - lightning struck the roof and five alarms went off. Good thing no one was hurt. Hope they find a place to gather quickly while they fix it.

Მ

მაია ლომიძე

Sad for the church. The hump fell straight into the roof, as it is written, and the whole thing was consumed by fire. It's good that people were not injured, I hope they will quickly find a place to gather.

Валентина Соловьёва

It’s a pity for the church, lightning hit the roof, as the article says, and everything burned down. It's good that no one was hurt. I wonder if they had a spare room or will they now gather at home?

Ნ

ნანა ბერიძე

Yes, Maya, it's good that people survived. But it is hard to imagine that the church of so many years burned down with one lightning strike. Hopefully the neighboring communities will help to find a meeting place.

Ნ

ნინო კაპანაძე

Yes, Maya, it's good that people got out safely. The lightning struck directly through the roof and quickly spread the fire through the wooden structure, according to the report. I hope they will restore it soon or find a temporary place.

Თ

თამარ წიკლაური

It's good that people got out unscathed, Maya. But how about if lightning strikes directly into the roof, what should you do beforehand to prevent the fire from spreading so quickly? I hope they will find a place soon and meet again.

Ლ

ლევან ჯავახიშვილი

Yes, Nino, it's good that everyone got out safely, the lightning struck right through the roof and quickly set the tree on fire. It is still a pity to damage such an old building. Hopefully the insurance will help with the recovery, if you find out what happens next, let us know.

Დ

დავით ბერიძე

Good question, Tamar. My roof guard burned and if the lightning arrestors had been installed correctly the fire would not have spread so quickly. I do roofs myself, so I know how important these things are. Hopefully, they will arrange it better in the new building.

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