Global Courant
An arson investigation was underway Sunday after a nearly 100-year-old church in Los Angeles was damaged by fire for the second time in less than two years, authorities said.
Flames erupted in the sanctuary of St. John’s United Methodist Church shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday and spread to a balcony, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.
It took more than 30 firefighters about 20 minutes to put out the blaze at the two-story church in the Watts neighborhood, the statement said. No injuries were reported.
FIGHTS erupt as parents in California protest elementary school PRIDE event: ‘THEY ARE TOO YOUNG’
The fire occurred as St. John’s was undergoing renovations after another fire that caused extensive damage in February 2022, the Los Angeles Times reported.
City of Los Angeles firefighters view the aftermath of a fire at St. Johns United Methodist Church on February 6, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. The 100-year-old church was again damaged by fire on June 4, 2023, and this time investigators believe arson may be the cause. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Following the earlier fire, worshipers moved services to the parking lot, where they continued to be held this weekend, the Times reported.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
The church, built in the Spanish Colonial style with a red tile roof and beige exterior, is celebrating 97 years of ministry in the Watts community south of downtown LA, according to its Facebook page.
