Fire damages historic Cape May church

CAPE MAY  — Authorities say a downed electrical pole sparked a fire that heavily damaged a historic church in town.

NJ.com reports that a commercial vehicle snagged guy wires from a utility pole in front of the Allen African Methodist Episcopal church at about 11:30 a.m. Saturday.

Electrical wires fell onto the building, touching off the fire, and the wires prevented Cape May firefighters from the station across the street from immediately battling the blaze "due to the entire building being electrically charged."

After Atlantic City Electric shut off the power, crews quickly brought the flames under control. No injuries were reported, but the church was heavily damaged.

Photos on Facebook show extensive restoration work on the building in the last few years. The church was built in the 1800s.

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Information from: NJ.com, http://www.nj.com

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