A massive five-alarm fire tore through an abandoned church in Pottstown, Montgomery County, early Friday morning, causing the steeple to collapse and forcing the evacuations of dozens of people in the neighborhood.
Pottstown Fire Chief Frank Hand said crews were dispatched around 6:22 a.m. on November 21, 2025, after reports of a fire at the vacant church at North Hanover and Chestnut Streets.
When firefighters arrived, they found intense flames already shooting through the structure.
SkyForce10 was over the scene as firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
An NBC10 viewer who lives next door to the church shared photos they took from their window as the church went up in flames.
“I’m just worried about the church falling and going toward my house and breaking stuff cause the cars are still on the street,” said David Shaner of Pottstown.
Although much of the fire was under control as of around 4 p.m. on Friday, the church’s steeple remained on fire as part of an intentional burn.
The steeple has since collapsed into the rest of the charred remains of the church and cranes have been brought in to help clean up debris.
“We brought in structural engineers,” said Hand. “There was actually a bell in there, an old brass bell, and they felt it was safer to let that burn off and collapse into the building rather than that steeple tipping one way or the other.”
According to Hand, the whole church will eventually have to come down.
Dozens of fire companies responded as the fire grew, eventually spreading to a nearby home, Hand said. Now, two blocks of homes have been evacuated, leaving dozens of residents displaced.
Sheila Dugan told NBC10 her home is next to the church and that it was damaged, but her family is safe.
“i know that side of my house is pretty much a mess,” she said. “The windows are all broken out. There’s brick. There’s wood broken out.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, and officials said the building had been vacant for at least two years. However, homeless people living in the church had become an issue, police and residents both said.
“Terrifying, because I predicted this last week that somebody homeless was going to start a fire — or kids,” Shaner said.
Pottstown’s Police Chief Michael Markovich confirmed to NBC10 that they did arrest some homeless people for trespassing inside the church twice this week, but he said they saw no signs of a fire and the building’s owner had the property secured.
No injuries have been reported, according to Hand.
Officials also told NBC10 that people evacuated won’t be able to return to their homes until fire crews can determine that the Chestnut Street side of the church is safe.
Fire crews were expected to be working on the church all night.
A church at the other end of the block was offering coffee, comfort and a place to stay for those impacted.
“The fact of the matter is, buildings are buildings, and the church is here for people. That’s why we’re here,” said Pastor John Folk. “And buildings can be replaced. Helping the people affected is the most important thing we can be doing right now.”
This is a developing story; check back here for updates.
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