Home Care In Florence, NJ

More than 150 firefighters battled a massive fire that reached eight alarms and destroyed a church in Burlington County, New Jersey. At one point the cross above the sanctuary could be seen falling into the inferno.

The fire began on Monday around 6 p.m. at the Fountain of Life Center on 2035 Burlington Columbus Road in Florence Township and continued into the night as flames fully engulfed the building.

"It's heartbreaking," William Jackson, a church member, told NBC10. "It really is heartbreaking. I can't imagine those who've been here for 25, 30 years, what their hearts must feel like right now. It's heavy. It's heavy."

SkyForce10 was over the scene as firefighters battled a massive fire at the Fountain of Life Center, a church in Burlington County, New Jersey.

SkyForce10 was over the scene Monday night as firefighters battled heavy smoke and flames that caused the roof of the sanctuary -- as well as the cross on top of it -- to collapse.

"Everybody's known that cross here in the entire area for 25, 30 years," James Brown, a church member, told NBC10. "So it's just something's gone that was always here. That everybody thought would always be here."

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The church, which also has a location in Trenton, New Jersey, was large enough to seat up to 3,000 people.

"The area was very difficult for operations," Florence Township Administrator Robert Tharp said. "Very large building that had a very large footprint. We also had very limited water supply where we had to go to fill stations to bring water in to fight the fire."

No injuries were reported as church staff darted from the building as the flames started to spread.

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Firefighters were still working to put out the flames late Monday night. They were able to stop the fire from spreading to an adjacent school.

The fire was finally placed under control after 2 a.m. on Tuesday, Burlington County dispatchers said.

As the sun rose Tuesday morning, the extent of damage could be seen with a haze rising over the gutted structure. Officials estimated the fire caused $24 million to $30 million in damages.

"We lost the entire sanctuary, just a complete and total loss," lead Pastor Russell Hodgins told NBC10. "The school building did stay in tact, so we are super grateful for that."

Members of the Pentecostal church told NBC10 work was recently being done to the building's HVAC system. Fire officials said it's too early to determine a cause however.

With Easter approaching, this is a time for rebirth for the congregation.

"We're gonna come together, and it's going to make us stronger and we're gonna go forward," Hodgins said.

The Fountain of Life Center pastor said they will hold their normal Sunday service in the athletic building on their property, which was not damaged by the fire.

"The church is really not brick and mortar -- that's the building -- but really it's a house of prayer," Hodgins said. "The church is really the body of believers and this body of believers is strong."

FLORENCE TWP., New Jersey (WPVI) -- A task force of county, state and ATF officials will investigate what caused a massive 8-alarm fire at a New Jersey church.

The daylight revealed the extent of damage to the Fountain of Life Center located on the 2000 block of Columbus Road in Florence Township.

The view from Chopper 6 Tuesday morning showed a burned-out shell was all that was left from the raging flames.

The fire broke out around 6 p.m. Monday.

Officials tell Action News that kids were playing basketball in the rear of the church when they reported seeing smoke. It didn't take long before the building was completely engulfed in flames.

According to Robert Tharp, the fire district administrator for the Florence Township Fire Department, more than 150 firefighters from across South Jersey and Pennsylvania helped fight the flames and supply water.

The fire was under control by 11 p.m.

"It's incredibly tragic. This is my entire life and the community here really means everything to me," said Pastor Matthew Boudwin.

Officials with the church are planning to hold Sunday services in a recreation area of the property that was spared by the flames.

A K-12 school next door was also not damaged, but classes have been canceled for the rest of the week.

"Even though this building could not be saved, they've done everything they can to save our school building, which is attached through a link to the church," added Russ Hodgins, the lead pastor.

"We have a plan forthcoming that will definitely be in place for this weekend," added Boudwin.

On any given Sunday, about 1,000 people show up to worship at the Fountain of Life Center.

Church leaders say they'll be putting out more information in the coming days on their social media channels about services and activities going forward.

Getting water to the rural location was a challenge.

Fire officials say while the building was up to code with smoke alarms and fire suppression, this fire was a tough one to fight.

"Mezzanines, balconies, interconnected classrooms. So the fire had everything that it needed," said Tharp.

Burlington County officials say this is the county's largest fire emergency since 2013 when an 11-alarm blaze engulfed the Dietz and Watson plant in Delanco.

No injuries were reported.

Officials believe the blaze may have started in the sanctuary of the church.

FLORENCE – The size and design of a large church here hampered firefighting-efforts at an eight-alarm blaze, according to a local fire official.

Water supply also was a challenge at Fountain of Life Center, which is in a rural area without fire hydrants, said Robert Tharp, the administrator of Florence’s fire district.

More than 50 fire departments, fire companies and agencies responded to the blaze at a complex with a large church, a private school and other buildings, Burlington County's commissioners said in a statement Tuesday.

More than 200 firefighters were on scene battling the inferno, officials said.

They noted it was Burlington County’s largest fire emergency since 2013, when an 11-alarm blaze destroyed a Dietz & Watson plant in Delanco.

“Our thoughts are with the church’s congregation and school community who have been impacted,” the statement said.

“The devastating loss will be felt by our entire county" it continued, while noting relief at the absence of deaths or apparent injuries.

The fire burned from at least 6 p.m. Monday into Tuesday’s early-morning hours, said Tharp, as embers still smoldered in rubble that could be seen on the Columbus side of the ruins.

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He offered this overview of firefighters’ efforts to subdue the massive blaze:

The pastors and other church leaders have decided to move Sunday services to the life center in the back of the complex.

Tharp said the losses could top $24 million. Local agencies are working with federal agencies to determine the cause, a move Tharp said is protocol when dealing with a fire at a church.

Parishioner Tony Wolosin of Browns Mills cried Monday night after arriving at the scene to see the church ablaze. She returned Tuesday afternoon with her daughter-in-law who lives close by to view the devastation in daylight.

“I was not crying just for the church (building), but I have been so emotional because it was there that beautiful memories were made of my son, William, who was saved from addiction by the pastors there,” she said.

She said the pastors saved William through counseling and mentoring and gave him purpose in life eight years ago and until he recently passed away at the age of 38.

“He then started volunteering there and later they allowed him to work there. Then he brought me and the rest of the family into the church."

Staff writer Jim Walsh contributed to this story.

Carol Comegno loves telling stories about South Jersey life, history and military veterans for the Courier Post, Burlington County Times and The Daily Journal. If you have a story to share, call her at 856-486-2473 or email [email protected].

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FLORENCE – Husband and wife team Ree and Steve Capers already have B-Unos restaurants in Burlington City and Mount Holly. Those little cozy restaurants are known for their burgers, birria tacos and much more.

The Willingboro residents will open a third B-Unos location in the next few months in Burlington County in Florence Township at the Florence Plaza, where a Tina’s Tacos was most recently before closing down.

Its convenient location is at 2043 Route 130 South, suite 10, near exit 6 of the New Jersey Turnpike, with proximity to Interstate 295.

“The rumors are true; we did get the old Tina’s Tacos location,” Ree Capers said. “We’re hoping right now to open early summer. It depends on how it goes with the liquor license proceedings, which I’m currently in the process of. It’s pretty much going to be like a B-Unos but with alcohol so we’re going to be almost like a Latin American sports bar.”

They also own Raceway Bagels by B-Unos in Berlin, which focuses on bagels, breakfast sandwiches and cheesesteaks.

What about a B-Unos burger?

B-Unos’ burgers, tacos, burritos, among other items, have drawn attention. In 2019, their Full Boost burger was rated one of the 10 best burgers in the state.

The Full Boost burger is a USDA-grade Angus beef that comes with Swiss cheese, mushrooms, fried pickles, caramelized onions and barbecue sauce on a brioche bun.

“A lot of people definitely enjoy our burgers and definitely enjoy our spin on the Mexican but it’s not really 100% Mexican,” Capers added. “We take some of our Puerto Rican traditions that we have and put that into the Mexican food, which I believe elevates the flavor profile of our Hispanic section, because a lot of that stuff has a lot of Puerto Rican ingredients as well, like sofrito.”

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She added they also offer a “Christmas rice” all year round. Arroz con gandules is a flavorful rice dish that is made with green olives, sofrito and pigeon peas.

“Puerto Ricans call it ‘Christmas rice’, because it’s only made during Christmas,” Capers explained. “We find a lot of people love it that you can get it year-round.”

B-Unos is a restaurant family

Capers and her husband are extremely passionate about the restaurant business, she said. Steve is a chef and designs the menu, while Ree’s specialty is the customers.

“I feel like what differentiates us the most, my husband and I live, breathe and eat the restaurant business," she added. "I grew up in it since I was a child. My father, my brother, they had restaurants growing up ... My husband, who’s a chef, enjoys making people feel good through the food. Giving people an idea about himself through the food.

“Me, I just live, breathe and eat service. I enjoy making people feel welcomed, making people feel happy. Whether it’s through the food, the environment, different interactions. I definitely enjoy meeting a lot of people through what we do.”

Celeste E. Whittaker is a news features reporter for the Courier Post, Daily Journal and Burlington County Times. The South Jersey native started at the CP in 1998 and has covered the Philadelphia 76ers, college and high school sports and has won numerous awards for her work. Reach her by email at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter at @cp_CWhittaker.

FLORENCE, NJ — If you missed last month's shredder event hosted by the Bordentown City and Bordentown Township Environmental Commissions, you are in luck.

Burlington County will be hosting a free shredding event on Sunday, October 22 from 9AM to 1PM at the Burlington County Resource Recovery Complex, located at 22000 Burlington-Columbus Road in Florence. An additional event is planned for November 19. The events are rain or shine.

Residents can recycle confidential documents such as bank and credit card statements, tax returns and other papers with sensitive information, such as account and Social Security information.

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During three spring shredding events, county residents recycled more than 40 tons of paper, positioning the County to surpass its record haul of 70 tons of paper recycled during last year’s shredding events.

“Burlington County is thrilled to offer free programs like this one that allow our residents to dispose of financial papers and other sensitive documents in a safe and environmentally-friendly manner,” said Burlington County Commissioner Deputy Director Tom Pullion, the liaison to the Department of Solid Waste and Recycling. “This is a great County service that helps promote recycling and sustainability.”

Shredding is reserved for Burlington County residents only (out-of-county residents, businesses and nonprofits will be turned away) and only confidential paper materials will be accepted at the event. Magazines, junk mail and household trash will not be accepted, nor will binders, plastic folders, computer discs or plastic credit cards.

Identification is required and a limit of four bags or boxes of paper will be accepted. Bags and boxes must be limited to 10 pounds each and should be placed in the trunk or cargo areas so staff can easily remove them. Already shredded paper will also be accepted.

During the shredding events, the County will also collect clean and dry plastic bubble wrap, plastic shipping mailers and plastic wrap from cases of water and paper products. These materials must be bagged separately from papers and be dry and free of food residue.

All collected materials will be recycled through a County partnership with Trex, a Virginia-based company that manufactures composite decking and railing from recycled plastics it upcycles from household items. A total of 240 pounds of plastic materials were collected during the County’s spring shredding events.

“Burlington County is one of the only counties in New Jersey to collect recycling from all of its municipalities at no charge to either the towns or their residents,” said Pullion. “We’re proud of this service and the money it saves municipalities and their property taxpayers. For every pound of material recycled, it’s one less that goes into the landfill.

Residents with questions about the shredding or plastics recycling collections can email [email protected].