KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A lightning strike may have caused a fire Monday afternoon in an historic church in Douglas County, Kansas.
Stull Community of Faith Church, 1596 E. 250th Road, sustained damage to its bell tower and entry, according to Chief Mike Baxter of Consolidated Fire District No. 1.
A neighbor smelled smoke at 1:45 p.m. and alerted the fire department.
Baxter said a crew was returning from another call and got a quick start on the fire.
Firefighters from the Lawrence Douglas County Fire-Medical Department and Shawnee Heights Fire Department helped knock down the fire, Baxter said.
A spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives told KSHB 41 investigators from the ATF and the Kansas State Fire Marshal's Office were investigating the cause of the fire.
It appears the cause was a lightning strike.
Arson is not suspected.
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