ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — The pastor of a men's recovery center destroyed by a fire caused by a lightning strike said he and the residents are putting their trust in their faith to get them through the crisis.
- Fire crews say lightning sparked fire that damaged recovery center
- Orange County Fire Rescue says all 20 units sustained damage
- Pastor at center says men have lost most of their belongings
The fire ignited at the One Fire's City of Refuge on North Orange Blossom Trail during severe weather at about 5:30 p.m. Wednesday.
When Orange County Fire Rescue crews arrived at the scene, flames were already shooting through the roof.
Firefighters think lightning struck the roof, setting the building ablaze.
Crews say the fire damaged all 20 units at the facility.
This morning, Pastor Tompkins came bounding onto the property to spy the charred building—& pass out @McDonalds coffees, sandwiches to those who call this place home: “A church is a family.” @MyNews13 pic.twitter.com/C4vQVMYuLK
— Julie Gargotta (@juliegargotta) June 20, 2019
"Everything they own is in these rooms, and they're going from room to room right now and telling us that there's nothing salvageable. Praise God no one was injured," said John Tompkins, the pastor of the recovery ministry.
Tomkins said that the 16 men who lived at the center now have nowhere to go after the fire destroyed their bedding, food, and clothes.
He said he was waiting for sunrise Thursday to be granted access into the building to assess the damage. He also said the organization just took over the building two months ago, and it is not insured.
On Thursday morning, he was still receiving calls from men needing a place to stay, he added.
Despite the men losing all of their possessions, Tompkins said they're holding onto their faith to get them through this crisis.
"Everybody here in this building was in worse shape than this building was at one time, and God's turned our lives around, and He's made broken things new again. So we’re putting our trust and hope and faith in all of that," the pastor said.
Orange County firefighters said no injuries were reported in the fire.
The Red Cross was reported to be helping assist the victims. Tomkins said his number is (386) 215-1839 if anyone would like to reach out to him to help One Fire's City of Refuge or its residents.