Historic Long Beach church damaged in blaze; one firefighter injured
Long Beach firefighters worked Sunday night to extinguish a blaze that erupted at the historic Second Samoan Church near downtown.
The fire was first reported around 6:15 p.m. at the building on 7th Street and Cedar Avenue, Long Beach Fire Capt. Jack Crabtree said.
Firefighters arrived and encountered smoke and flames arising out of the church’s central dome. Within an hour, a crew of about 50 firefights put out the blaze.
One firefighter suffered an unknown injury and was transported to a hospital about 7:30 p.m., Crabtree said.
No other injuries were reported.
The church was built in 1924 as the Second Church of Christ Scientist. The building, with its Neoclassical Revival-style, Corinthian columns and visual landmark central dome, was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, and the extent of the damage to the building is not immediately known.
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