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Fire caused $450,000 damage at Nebraska church

City of Scottsbluff Fire DepartmentSCOTTSBLUFF, Neb. (AP) — A fire at a Scottsbluff 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 around 7:15 p.m. May 7 that caused a power outage in the neighborhood also started the fire.

It wasn’t detected until early the following day because the building didn’t have a fire alarm system.

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