A Pomona church went up in flames early Sunday morning, bringing out dozens of firefighters to battle the blaze.
The fire at Victory Outreach Church Pomona at 177 W. Monterey Ave. broke out at about 2:45 a.m., the Los Angeles County Fire Department said on X, formerly Twitter.
The Rev. Robert Garcia and fire officials told KTLA that firefighters believe the 12,000-square-foot church, which was built in 1981, will be “a total loss.”
“It’s a tough morning for us, because today we were getting ready to have our outreach for the whole community. We were going to give gifts; we had 500 people already registered,” Garcia said.
The church still plans on holding a community event at 5 p.m. Sunday, though it is likely to be held in the parking lot across from the church.
Garcia noted that what happened on Sunday is hard, but one congregant had a hopeful message.
“Pastor, when it’s all said and done, the building is going to be burned down, but the church is still going to be standing, because we’re the church,” Garcia quoted the congregant as saying.
No injuries have been reported and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
A GoFundMe has been set up to help the church. To donate, click here.