A fire at a Scottsbluff, Neb., church earlier this month caused $450,000 damage because it burned for more than five hours before being discovered.
KNEB reports firefighters increased their damage estimate for the May 8 fire at Zion Evangelical Church in Scottsbluff.
Scottsbluff Fire Marshall Anthony Murphy says the extent of the damage became clear after revisiting the building and talking with insurance officials.
Authorities believe a lightning strike that caused a power outage in the neighborhood around 7:15 Saturday evening started the fire.
It wasn’t detected until early Sunday because the building didn’t have a fire alarm system.
Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Brown & Brown Wins Temporary Injunction Against Howden 
US Efforts to End Iran War Stumble as Ship Seized Near UAE 
For Carriers, AI Can Now Mean Hyper-Personalized Customer Service, Leaders Say 
Safepoint Exec Pay, Slide’s Stock Sell-Offs Getting Attention in Florida 
