Fire severely damages historic church in northern New Jersey

WPVI logo
Friday, January 1, 2016
VIDEO: Fire destroys NJ church
Fire has destroyed an historic church in West Orange, New Jersey.

WEST ORANGE, N.J. (WPVI) -- A fast-moving fire has severely damaged a historic church in northern New Jersey on New Year's Day.

The fire at the former St. Mark's Episcopal Church in West Orange started around 5 a.m. Friday and burned for more than three hours before it was brought under control.

No injuries were reported.

Investigators say it's not yet known what sparked the fire at the Gothic revival church, which was built in 1827.

The Episcopal Diocese of Newark closed the church in 2004 and sold it about a year ago. It's now occupied by the Iglesia De Dios Pentecostal Church.

The former St. Mark's church was listed in 1996 as a historic place by Preservation New Jersey.