Posted on 07/11/2020 5:04:24 PM PDT by marshmallow
A fire broke out at the San Gabriel Mission early Saturday and burned the roof and much of the church’s interior, officials said.
Authorities have not determined what caused the blaze at the 249-year-old church on 428 S. Mission Drive.
The San Gabriel Fire Department received a call about the fire at around 4:30 a.m. and arrived at the scene to find flames through the roof, Capt. Antonio Negrete told KTLA.
The crews called for additional units after about 5 minutes, Negrete said. Some 50 firefighters responded to the location, and they struggled as parts of the roof began to come down, according to the captain.
“The fire traversed the wood rapidly, the interior is pretty much destroyed up into the altar area,” Negrete told the Associated Press.
Workers had just redone the walls and refinished the 107-year-old pews as part of a renovation project ahead of the church’s 250th anniversary next year, San Gabriel Mission spokesoman Terri Huerta said. The roof last underwent repair after sustaining damage from the 1994 Northridge earthquake, she added.
“To see it being burned down is just heartbreaking,” Huerta told KTLA.
But an altar piece that dated back to the original mission was still intact, she said.
“There’s a lot to be grateful for that didn’t burn in the fire,” Huerta said.
(Excerpt) Read more at ktla.com ...
Do they say if it was torched?
Just like Notre Dame
Got it...
Fire Department said what ignited the fire remains under investigation, and that it’s unclear whether it’s suspicious in nature.
Shouldn’t take long to make a determination.
I think this was the Flagship the Mother Church where much of the time was spent for Fray Junipero Serra. Natives who accepted his ideas, learned irrigation, horticulture, animal husbandry and vineyards. He improved the life style for so many, they were called Gabrileños. Seems to come to mind that Randolph Hearst invested a lot of money to redo and renovate a lot oft he mission churches in Caifornia. But... this will be the first of many other churches to burn. China does this well. First they have to get rid of religion and erase history.
wow
I pull off the highway just to visit that church and the local taqueria down the street.
Grew up around 5 miles from there. Sad.
By the way,did they find out how the Notre Dame fire started? I’m sickened about the San Gabriel mission. If they find that it was anti Christian arson there’ll be hell to pay. But we may never know. Also the Mission caved to radical pressure by moving a Junipero Serra statue “away from controversy”. Maybe God punished the church for being luke warm.
Had to be arson. 200 plus years without a fire and now with goons destroying our history it suddenly ignites?
“Shouldn’t take long to make a determination.”
As soon as their controlling politicians tell them what to say.
One of my great-grandmothers was Gabrieleño. This is just heartbreaking.
Generations of Californians studied California history in fourth grade. When I was in fourth grade in 1961, our class took a field trip to the mission, one of the highlights of the school year for me.
Sorry to hear of this. I visited this mission back in 1961 when I was a teenager, and it was outstanding.
Very sad...I did the entire Mission chain a few years ago and it was a wonderful journey.
This important mission is the one where they voluntarily removed the statue of Fr. Junipero Serra, so you can see how much good that did them.
That said, there’s a possibility that it was an accident, because they had just finished restoring the pews and any time there’s restoration or repairs in an old building, there seems to be a higher chance of fire. At least the altarpiece survived.
I dunno, but #4 was a quote from the article. I’m so cynical now, if they tell me it caused by a rat chewing though wires I’ll have my doubts.
From my perspective, fires that suddenly start at 4:00 a.m. are generally suspect in my mind.
According to Wikipedia, the original location in 1771 was elsewhere, about five miles away. They moved to the present location in 1776.
I’m sure 15 FBI agents will be on it immediately... like on a pull knot in a nascar garage.
Just posted about this, earlier today, on the Ocala, FL church burning.
Three, so far.
Prayers.
I can’t believe hispanic Americans will be OK with this attack on the Catholic faith & history. Disgusting. I am assuming it is arson, until proven otherwise.
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