Church May Remain Open Pending Repairs
A church operating out of an industrial park will stay open for services while its leaders try to bring the building up to code, city and county officials said Tuesday.
The Ventura County Fire Department found safety violations at the Iglesia de Dios on Easy Street after firefighters responded to a report of smoke at the building last weekend, said Joe Luna, a spokesman for the Fire Department.
Inspectors from the Fire Department and Simi Valley’s Building and Safety Department toured the church Tuesday and found several problems, Luna said. Some problems, such as lack of fire extinguishers, can be corrected easily.
Others, however, may take more effort and money. For instance, the inspectors demanded that the church stop using a balcony that may need better structural support, Luna said.
Although the congregation can continue using the building while church leaders work with inspectors, Luna said some of the necessary work may cost more than the working-class Protestant congregation can afford.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
