Crews battle 2-alarm church fire in Pittsburg
The blaze happened at the Pentecostals of the Bay Area
PITTSBURG, Calif. (KGO) -- Crews battled a two-alarm church fire in Pittsburg Friday morning.
The blaze happened at 310 Central Ave. at the Pentecostals of the Bay Area, officials say.
It started at 2:44a.m.
Firefighters say right as they prepared to go in and fight, a section of the roof collapsed, forcing them to retreat.
"The collapse, based on the building's geometry, created an over pressurization event similar to a backdraft, which blew out the front doors of this building and created a hazardous condition inside," said Contra Costa Fire Captain George Laing.
The chaotic situation forced them into a defensive stance. They stood on the outside, not far from the church members who watched helplessly as the building they loved burned.
"There's an emotional connection to the building. We worship here. We remodeled the inside, put on a brand new roof, solar panels, new seats. All of a sudden, it's gone," said Senior Pastor Elias Limones.
VIDEO: SKY7 over scene of fire at Pentecostals of the Bay Area in Pittsburg
RELATED: Fire burns Saint James Cathedral of Faith in Pittsburg
Firefighters say they are still looking for the fire's cause, but at this point, they don't see anything suspicious.
No one was hurt in the fire.
Another fire happened near this location along Central Ave. at Saint James Cathedral of Faith in Pittsburg last November.
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