Smoke and flames filled the air as Hickory Rescue arrived on a
fully involved structure fire at Penelope Baptist Church in Longview.

The sanctuary in a west Hickory church was a total loss after an early morning fire.
The Longview Fire Department responded to Penelope Baptist Church, 3310 Main Ave. NW in Hickory, around 5:30 a.m. Sunday, at which point, "The fire had already vented itself and we could see fire coming through the roof in the sanctuary," said Longview Firechief Eric Shepherd. "We immediately called for mutual aid."
The fire was brought under control by 8 a.m. Crews were still on the scene around 10 a.m., spraying the structure to help bring the hot spots under control so investigative crews could enter the building.
The damage was mainly maintained to the sanctuary, which was a total loss, Shepherd said. The administrative offices and educational building were spared except for smoke, water and minor fire damage, according to Shepherd
Also responding to the scene were the fire departments from Hickory, Mountain View, Hildebrand, Icard and Drowning Creek.  Hickory Rescue and Catawba County EMS also assisted at the scene.

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