Excerpts from WIFR.com:
One of Rockford’s oldest churches, the former Metro Christian Center Church, was destroyed Wednesday night. The building had been condemned for several years and many doors and windows had been boarded up. There was no electricity inside the building. The Rockford Fire Department is opening an arson investigation. The church was a downtown staple for many years.
Heavy clouds of smoke covered downtown as the church was engulfed in fire and dozens of trucks surrounded the structure as parts of it fell to the street. Fire crews say the fire spread very quickly because the structure is made of wood and firefighters didn’t go into the building because the rooftop has asbestos. The damages are estimated at $300,000.
Photos from Tim Olk of the 3-Alarm fire in Rockford, 9-2-20
Tim Olk photo
Tim Olk photo
