Cross’s lighting system causes small fire, smoke in church

Philadelphia firefighters say the electrical system for a cross on the outside wall of a city church apparently malfunctioned, filling the sanctuary with a smoky haze and causing a small fire in a wall that was quickly extinguished.

Crews were called to Holy Innocents St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in the city’s Tacony section about 1:15 a.m. Friday.

Nobody was hurt and the cause of the apparent electrical problem remains under investigation.

The fire was confined to the church’s wall and was under control in about an hour.