The steeple of the Carversville Christian Church was destroyed by fire, causing the bell housed in it to crash through the roof. A late night fire in the bell tower of the Carversville Christian Church destroyed the thick beams supporting the heavy bell housed there, sending it crashing through the roof.

Peter Putman, a trustee of the 1837 stone church on Aquetong Road, said neighbors who rushed to the Sunday blaze with a garden hose could hear the bell ringing as the supports beneath it burned. "As the steeple burned, it burned away the heavy supports and the bell fell into the choir loft, a floor above the sanctuary," said Putman. "People said they could hear it ringing from outside." He estimated the bell weighed between 500 and 600 pounds.

No one was injured in the fire, which is believed to have been caused by a problem with a fan or its wiring. The fire was called in by a commuter who saw the five-story high bell tower burning on his way to his job in Trenton, just before 11 p.m.
Scott Fleischer, chief of the Point Pleasant Fire Co., said the steeple was fully involved when firefighters arrived. "There was a lot of fire there when we got there. The fire had a jump on us. We made an aggressive interior attack. We only had a matter of minutes because we were concerned the bell tower would collapse and the bell would fall. "

Fleischer commended firefighters for their quick action. "The church is standing today because of the crews and their efforts." The fire was placed under control within about 45 minutes, Fleischer said. However, firefighters from several surrounding companies were on the scene until 6 a.m. Monday.

Although there are no fire hydrants in the rural area, Fleischer said the companies are adept at fighting fires under those conditions and there was no lack of water to fight the blaze. Even with Point Pleasant's tanker truck in Hilltown on Sunday night battling an intense barn fire, firefighters were able to manage with the support of assisting companies, said Fleischer.
Bucks County's assistant fire marshal, Mark Kramer, applauded firefighters' work too.
"We are very, very lucky no firefighters were under the bell. They did a great job keeping (the fire) where it was."
Kramer said he believes a box fan used to draw heat out of the tower was probably the cause of the destructive blaze.
"It was most likely the fan and wiring associated with it that failed. The fan was in the general area of where the fire started," he said.

The extent of the fire made it impossible to determine if the fan was left on, the fire marshal added.
As workers cleared away blackened debris Monday, Putman said church officials are uncertain how they will proceed.
"We don't know yet. Much of the church will be unusable for awhile." However, the basement of the church, which suffered water damage, could possibly be used for services, said Putman. It's currently used for fellowship after church.
A new pastor is set to begin his duties at the church Aug. 1. Putman said the fire has not changed those plans.
A small aluminum cross attached to the steeple was rescued, said Putman.
July 20, 2010 02:11 AM