MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – A fire erupted Tuesday afternoon at a church in Miami Gardens.
Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said Greater New Bethel Baptist Church, located at 17025 NW 22nd Ave., was evacuated after the fire started.
Sky 10 was above the scene at 3:45 p.m. as heavy smoke was coming from the church's roof. Firefighters battled the blaze for several hours, finally bringing the four-alarm fire under control just after 7 p.m.
The church houses a day care, but authorities said everyone was able to get out safely.
It's unclear how many people were inside the church when the fire started.
"It hurts. It really does. It really hurts," parishioner Calvin Williams said. "A lot of us grew up in this church. A lot of memories are gonna be lost."
A deacon at the church told Local 10 News reporter Janine Stanwood that roof work was being done on the building prior to the fire, although the cause of the blaze is still unknown.