Fire destroys a Los Angeles-area church just before Christmas
POMOMA, California — A Los Angeles-area church was destroyed by a massive fire early Sunday, just hours before a celebration that included a Christmas play and toy giveaway.
Firefighters arrived at Victory Outreach Church in Pomona around 2:45 a.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
A fire department spokeswoman told television station KABC that firefighters launched an aggressive interior attack upon arrival, but after about 20 minutes the roof began to collapse and the fire spread, forcing them to go into defensive mode.
No injuries have been reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
The Rev. Robert Garcia told television station KTLA that 500 people had registered for the church's planned celebration.
βIt's a tough morning for us because today we were preparing to organize our outreach to the entire community,β he said.