The fire was reported just before 5:30 p.m. when a neighbor noticed smoke rising from the back of the church and called 911, according to Bright.
Firefighters focus on damage to the attic at the rear of St. Peter's Episcopal Church on Buckingham Street Thursday evening.Updates a story posted Thursday at 6:54 p.m.
SPRINGFIELD — Beginning tomorrow, Rev. Dee W. Bright said he will begin thinking about how to pay for the damage, estimated by a fire official at as much as $100,000, caused to St. Peters Episcopal Church by a Thursday night fire as parishioners were gathering for a service.
Reached by phone at home Thursday night, Bright said the fire "will cause some financial hardship."
"There's a lot of smoke damage in the interior," he said.
The fire was reported just before 5:30 p.m. when a neighbor noticed smoke rising from the back of the church and called 911, according to Bright.
At the time, Bright was in his office when another church official came in to alert him. He said he rushed to the chapel and dismissed the service.
By the time he made his way outside, he said, the fire department was already on scene.
There were no injuries and the fire was quickly put out.
An investigation is underway to determine what caused the blaze.
Dennis Leger, aide to Fire Commissioner Joseph Conant, said the flames caused $20,000 worth of structural damage and much more in smoke damage. He estimated it may take upwards of $100,000 or more to rid all the church's icons and paintings of smoke damage.
The church is located at 45 Buckingham St. in the city's McKnight neighborhood.