Crews extinguished a fire that burned for hours in a Miami Gardens church on Tuesday afternoon.
The fire was reported at around 2:25 p.m. at Greater New Bethel Baptist Church on Northwest 22nd Avenue, according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
Authorities said the building was evacuated and there were no reported injuries but church officials said it could be a total loss.
The church was occupied and repair work was being done on the roof when the fire started in the layers of the roof, officials said.
"Initially it was a lot of dark smoke from the top. By the time I made a few phone calls to my family, I realized I could no longer see the door. It was that quick and a lot of smoke so it’s serious," said Glenis Henriquez, who was evacuated from the church.
Over 46 fire rescue units responded. The fire was upgraded to a four-alarm due to the length of time and personnel needed to put out the flames.
"Because of the situation of where the fire is it can take several hours till it’s completely out," Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Lt. Kirsten Miller said.
The fire was under control by 7 p.m., officials said. The cause is under investigation.
