A structure fire started inside a church building in Val Verde Wednesday morning, prompting the response of at least four fire engines from the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Law enforcement officials are investigating the fire as a possible arson.

The structure fire occurred inside a 400 square-foot church at the 28000 block of Morningside Drive in Val Verde. LACoFD officials reported light smoke coming from the building, and observed that a previous fire had occurred in the basement of the church.

The blaze was originally reported to officials at 8:38 a.m. Wednesday, and engines were dispatched two minutes later. Units arrived on scene at 8:46 a.m., according to officials with the Los Angeles County Fire Department, less than 10 minutes after the fire was originally called in.

No other structures were threatened, and the risk for spread into any nearby brush was minimal, according to LACoFD officials.

The fire was officially declared knocked down less than an hour after units arrived on scene.

The cause of the fire is now being investigated as a possible act of arson, according to law enforcement officials on scene. This is not the first time the small church has experienced hardship.

“Somebody broke in through our windows,” said Irma Arona, a member of the church. “They stole our guitars, our speakers and some amplifiers. It’s not the first time either, it’s been more than five times that someone has broken into the church.”

Arona told KHTS that the church had been robbed several times over the past few weeks.

“We’re a very small church,” Arona said. “We all try to pitch in and fix it ourselves, but I don’t know what they’re going to do now. I don’t know if they’re going to let us keep going or if they’re just going to close it.”

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