DOUGLAS, AZ — Two historic churches caught fire Monday in Douglas, Arizona.
The Douglas Fire Department says they received the call at 10:51 a.m. after someone reported seeing smoke in St. Stephen's Church. The fire jumped three buildings before flames started at the neighboring First Presbyterian Church. The first church has significant structural damage, while First Presbyterian suffered smoke damage.
Pastor Peggy Christiansen said she saw the firefighters breaking the stained glass windows of the church as she approached the scene at noon.
“When I first got here it was a complete punch in the gut," she said. "I walked from that way and I saw them breaking into the glass windows. And those stained glass windows are historic and they’re kind of part of the identity of the church.”
Members of the First Presbyterian congregation, Sylvia and Manuel Valenzuela, said it was heartbreaking to see the damage and the destruction of the historic building.
“It’s just sad that the originality of the church and the historical significance of the church has to be rebuilt,” Manuel Valenzuela said.
Video from the scene of the fires posted by Cool FM Online shows First Presbyterian on fire again overnight into Tuesday morning. Firefighters have not released any information about the overnight fire or what caused it to reignite.
Overnight into Tuesday, the fire reignited at the Presbyterian Church causing more damage, according to fire officials.
What caused the fires is still under investigation.
No injuries have been reported.
