An explosion ripped through a church in upstate New York on Tuesday, injuring the pastor and four firefighters who were investigating a reported gas leak in the building.
Fire crews with the Boonville Fire Department were called out to Abundant Life Fellowship in Boonville, New York, after heavy snow caused the church's roof to slump and damage a propane fuel line, the New York State Police said on Wednesday.
Firefighters were attempting to locate the electrical panel to shut off power to the church when the blast occurred, officials said.
"Four individuals were in the basement when the furnace activated, triggering the explosion," authorities said. "One firefighter was on the first floor attempting to ventilate the structure and was thrown against a wall by the blast."
Pastor Brandon Pitts, 43, and three of the firefighters, including Boonville Fire Chief David Pritchard Jr., 60; Nicholas Amicucci, 43; and Richard Czajka, 71, were transported to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse. Pitts and Pritchard Jr. were listed in fair condition, while Amicucci and Czajka were in critical condition.
The fourth firefighter, Allan Austin, 67, was taken to Wynn Hospital in Utica. His condition is unknown at this time.
Local police said there is no evidence of criminal activity, adding that the church "sustained catastrophic damage and is considered destroyed." The investigation into the cause of the leak and the subsequent explosion remains ongoing.
A member of Abundant Life Fellowship, who identified herself only as Lydia, said in a Facebook statement that the building was nearly engulfed in flames and smoke within about 15 minutes of the explosion.
"Please just pray for peace," she wrote Tuesday morning. "And go ahead and lift a lot of praise for the Lord’s protection over all the things NOT happening at church at the time of this emergency."
Later that day, Lydia said the pastor was being treated for second-degree burns, adding that he was alert and seemed in good spirits.
"We were told [he] was able to do some joking with hospital staff, which is very much like him and excellent news," she shared, urging the public not to visit the church because of the active investigation.
In the wake of the explosion, local fire officials also took to social media to ask the public for well wishes, writing: "Please keep the members of the Boonville Fire Department and their families as well as the Members of the Abundant Life church and their families in your prayers tonight."