PHOTO: It stood tall among the smoking debris surrounding it.
A cross was all that remained of Balsora Baptist Church in Bridgeport, Texas, after a fire swept through the building Friday, leading to a response from a dozen area agencies.
The Boonesville–Balsora Volunteer Fire Department described the church fire as a “devastating loss” to the community but noted that the cross was a “sight to behold.”
“A symbol that the building was just that, a building. The Church is the congregation, and where 2 or more gather, there he shall be also,” the department wrote in a Facebook post, alluding to Matthew 18:20.
The roof began to collapse while firefighters were still inside, and several firefighters were treated at the scene. Extreme temperatures taxed resources and available manpower, the department said.