Authorities on Tuesday responded to an explosion at a church in Boonville that injured four firefighters and the pastor of the church.
The New York State Police said they’re investigating the explosion at Abundant Life Fellowship on State Route 12. It happened following reports of a gas odor inside the building that came in around 10:23 a.m. Police say people inside the church “reported smelling gas” before the explosion.
A Boonville firefighter who entered the church and was trying to ventilate the building on the first floor was thrown against a wall by the force of the explosion, according to police.
“The preliminary investigation indicates that four individuals were in the church’s basement when the furnace activated, triggering an explosion,” State Police said in a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
One of the firefighters, Allan Austin, 67, was transported to Wynn Hospital, police said.
Four other individuals were taken to Upstate Hospital. Police identified them as Boonville Fire Chief David Pritchard Jr., age 60; Boonville firefighter Nicholas Amicucci, age 43; Boonville firefighter Richard Czajka, age 71; and church Pastor Brandon Pitts, age 43.
Authorities initially said the five hospitalized individuals were critically injured, but later Tuesday said they were stable.
According to troopers, the church was destroyed, and sustained “catastrophic damage.”
“God’s going to take care of us,” said Terry Hitt, deacon at Abundant Life Fellowship. “This is just like I said. This is just a building. This isn’t people or anything. So we can rebuild and keep going. And there’s a lot of unity in this village and this community.”
A church member said in a post on the church’s Facebook page that the pastor and another congregant were in the church when the explosion happened, and indicated they suffered burns.
Investigators say there is no indication of criminal activity at this time. The cause of the explosion is under investigation.