A blaze consumed a south suburban church in Ford Heights, Illinois, on Wednesday afternoon, drawing significant attention and emergency response.

Chopper 7 hovered above the location at 1602 Drexel Ave. around 2:45 p.m., capturing the dramatic scene below.

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Thick columns of smoke billowed from the church, with intense flames visibly engulfing the structure.

Fire crews were actively engaged in efforts to control and extinguish the fire.

At this time, the cause of the fire remains unknown, and there is no information regarding any injuries.

The church’s pastor mentioned that the True Light Temple of Praise has been a longstanding part of the community for many years.

He said once he found out about the fire he had to be picked up off the ground he was so overcome by emotion.

There were two church members doing some kind of work at the church when the fire broke out.

Pastor James Morgan said those two people were able to get out.

The pastor said they spent more than $40,000 trying to renovate and revitalize the church, which has been a beacon of hope for the community.

“Imma be honest: I’ve just been here. I’ve been looking at the fire, waiting to get the details myself. We were just here on Sunday having a great time. And I’m devastated myself; I’m trying to figure out what’s going on,” Morgan said.