Laguna Church Roof Damaged in Fire
The roof of a Laguna Beach church went up in flames Sunday afternoon, causing about $135,000 in damage and closing a stretch of a road near Coast Highway for nearly two hours, fire officials said.
No one was injured in the blaze.
The Neighborhood Congregational Church at 340 St. Anne’s Drive caught fire about 4:40 p.m. About 40 firefighters needed more than hour to extinguish the blaze, whose cause has not yet been determined, said Laguna Beach Fire Battalion Chief Mark Baker.
Baker said the fire started on the outside of the 50-foot-high shingled roof, making it difficult for firefighters to reach the blaze. The 10,000-square-foot church was locked at the time of the fire.
The fire caused about $100,000 in damage to the roof and an estimated $35,000 inside the church, Baker said.
Firefighters closed Glenneyre Street for about two hours, rerouting traffic onto Coast Highway a block away and causing some traffic snarls, Baker said.
The Rev. Tari Lennon, the church’s senior minister, said damage was confined largely to the roof because of firefighters’ quick action. Services will be conducted in another hall at the 52-year-old church until the roof can be repaired, she said.
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