JEFFERSON COUNTY, Wisc. — Crews responded to a fire at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Jefferson County on Monday night.
A firefighter with the Jefferson County Fire Department told TMJ4 that the fire was started by a lightning strike.
The fire department blocked off several streets surrounding the church with the steeple severely damaged and at risk of toppling over.
Neighbors say they heard a loud boom between 8:30 and 9:00 p.m. that could be felt throughout the town.
Ed Hotter has been going to St. John the Baptist Catholic Church since he was born.
"It was just shock. I mean I don’t know how to react. I’m still kind of shocked by it," Hotter said. "Everyone in our family’s been baptized there. Everybody has been married there. My parents have been buried there, so it’s quite a shock to see this happen. I don’t know. I’m at a loss for words to be honest."
Firefighters got the fire in the steeple under control just after 10:30 p.m. on Monday night.
No injuries were reported.
TMJ4's Brendyn Jones headed to the scene early Tuesday morning to continue our coverage of the damage. He sent these pictures of crews surrounding the church with a chain link fence.
Brendyn says the last fire truck left around 3:45 a.m.
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