An arson investigation was under way Sunday after fire damaged a nearly 100-year-old Los Angeles church for the second time in less than two years, authorities.
Flames broke out shorty before 7 p.m. Saturday in the sanctuary of St. John’s United Methodist Church and spread into a balcony, the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement.
More than 30 firefighters took about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze at the two-story church in the Watts neighborhood, the statement said. No injuries were reported.
FIGHTS ERUPT AS CALIFORNIA PARENTS PROTEST PRIDE EVENT AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: ‘THEY’RE TOO YOUNG’
The blaze occurred as St. John’s was undergoing renovations from another fire that caused major damage in February 2022, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Los Angeles city firefighters look over the aftermath of a fire at St. Johns United Methodist Church on Feb. 6, 2022, in Los Angeles, California. The 100-year-old church has once again been damaged by fire on June 4, 2023, and this time investigators believe arson could have been the cause. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
After the earlier fire, worshippers moved services to the parking lot, where they were still being held as of this weekend, the Times said.
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.
