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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.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.
NYC Mayor Eyes City-Run Insurance Program for Affordable Housing 
AI for the Defense: Should Insurers or Law Firms Pay? 
Florida Needs More – Much More – Wind Mitigation, Say Experts at OIR Summit 
Chubb Q1 Net Income Increases 74% on Fewer Catastrophe Losses 
