Church consumed in fire; lightning strike suspected as cause

The interior of the Pierce Lane Church of Christ begins to collapse on itself as the building furiously burns in the rain at about 4 a.m. Friday.

Lightning is suspected in the early morning fire that consumed a church south of Dyersburg.

The Pierce Lane Church of Christ, 145 Pierce Rd., was reported to have been hit by lightning at about 3:52 a.m., said a Dyer County Sheriff's Department report, during the thunderstorm that rolled through the area this morning.

A transformer was reported to have exploded about the same time, neighbors said.

A fire truck delivers water to the scene.

Fire departments from Fowlkes, Bonicord and Bruceville were first to arrive on the scene, followed by the arrival of a Dyersburg tanker at 4:06 a.m.

The fire spread quickly through the brick and wood building, burning the interior and roof before collapsing onto itself.