A huge fire happened at a church on Clendaniel Avenue late last night. 

The Community Foundation of the Eastern Store says that, along with other donors, they have granted $73,000 to the Salisbury Fire Department to buy ballistic vests for firefighters and paramedics.

Units were dispatched just before 11:30 a.m. to the Exxon gas station at the intersection of Grays Corner and Friendship roads, across from Stephen Decatur High School. Upon arrival they found smoke outside and an active fire inside the building.

The preliminary cause, heat on grass clippings under the mower of a recently-used tractor, was deemed an accident by officials. Damage is estimated at $160,000.

Though the fire's cause is still under investigation, the Office of the Maryland State Fire Marshal estimates the damage to be around $175,000.

On July 16, 1983, firefighter Jeffrey Dieter was responding to a fire at a local cafe with about 115 other firefighters when its roof collapsed on him.

Firefighters got to work extinguishing the fire just before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday while also conducting a search of the house.