PALM BAY, Fla. – A fire broke out Tuesday morning at a ministry facility in Palm Bay, prompting a road closure, according to police.
Officials said no one was injured in the fire, which occurred at Truth Revealed Ministries, formerly the Space Coast Credit Union, on Palm Bay Road.
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‘’We rushed here and came to a smoldering inferno,’’ Bishop Merton Clark said.
The pastor of the ministry said the fire would not have been in an empty building had it happened just one day later.
Truth Revealed Ministries was planning to open the annex, across the street from its church, as a cold night shelter for homeless people starting on Wednesday.
Bishop Clark said the loss of the building was like a punch to the gut.
‘’It knocked the wind out of me, but even now, I’m really happy because there was no loss of life in it,’’ he said.
A Palm Bay fire captain on the scene said it did not look to him like the fire was started intentionally.
The investigator said the building did not have fire alarms or sprinklers which might have saved it.
Bishop Clark said he will rebuild the annex, but his ministry will need a lot of help.
‘’I believe the promise of God is still yes and amen for our ministry and for the future of this city,’’ he said.
The ministry is accepting donations
Those interested in helping can call Bishop Clark at 321-952-5151.
Palm Bay Road was closed from RJ Conlan east to Main Street, but the roadway was later reopened.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.