Middleborough church fire caused by electrical malfunction

By Marc Larocque, Globe Correspondent

The fire that ripped through the landmark Central Congregational Church in Middleborough early Monday morning was caused by an “electrical malfunction,” a joint investigation by the State Fire Marshal’s office and the Middleborough Fire Department found.

The blaze that left the 161-year-old church’s interior destroyed and one firefighter with an injured knee, broke out before 7 a.m. The flames originated in the building's back kitchen, then traveled up a wall into the steeple, according to Fire Chief Lance M. Benjamino. The fire was under control by 10 a.m.