HISTORIC CHURCH BURNS
Blaze in the wooden building erected in the 1890s started in the attic, firefighters say.
A firefighter battles f lames Tuesday at the Crouch Memorial Church of God in Christ in the 1000 block of East 27th Street. Three firefighters were injured in the blaze, which a pastor at the 1890s building said may have been caused by a heater.
A South Los Angeles pastor said he feared he may have accidentally started a fire Tuesday that engulfed his congregation’s historic church and injured three firefighters.
Lawrence Magee, 66, told reporters outside of what remained of Crouch Memorial Church of God in Christ at 1001 E. 27th St. that the fire may have started when he turned on the heater.
“I wanted to make sure it was working for tomorrow,” he said. “It’s supposed to rain.”
Magee said he arrived before 9:30 a.m. Moments after turning on the heater, he saw smoke coming out from the church vents high in the wooden building. He said he went outside and called 911. By the time the second fire truck arrived, the centuryold church was engulfed in f lames. The fire started in the attic and spread fast, firefighters said.
“So fast, in seconds. Unbelievable,” Magee said. “The reality started to set in. This is where I worship. This is where I preach. And I’m starting to feel the impact of what’s happening here.”
Magee has led the congregation, with an estimated 50 members, since January 2011. The church was built in the late 1890s, records show. Magee said it used to serve as the meeting place for women’s temperance groups during Prohibition.
Three firefighters were injured, two during the initial response when the roof collapsed on them while they were inside, said Capt. Jaime Moore. A third firefighter was hurt later as crews extinguished smoldering hot spots in the debris. All three were expected to recover.
The fire was mostly extin- guished by 10:30 a.m.; the cause is under investigation.
Rudy Mendoza, 43, a neighborhood resident, said he watched as the events unfolded outside of his home.
“I thank God it wasn’t a Sunday. If it was a Sunday, we would have been in trouble,” Mendoza said.