Fire causes $59,000 damage to Yuba City churches

Fire gutted a small former parsonage behind a defunct church Thursday morning in Yuba City, causing more than $8,000 in smoke damage to an active church next door.

"It used to be a house, but now the church uses it to store church equipment," Yuba City Fire Department spokesman Bill Fuller said.

The building behind the Assembly of God Church at 804 Spiva Ave. sustained more than $50,000 in damage with another $1,000 in property going up in smoke, Yuba City officials said.

No injuries were reported.

Firefighters responded around 6:30 a.m. to a fire. It took 10 firefighters just over two hours to extinguish the blaze, Fuller said.

The fire's cause remains under investigation, Battalion Fire Chief John Limas said.

While that church is seldom used these days, the Faith Tabernacle Pentecostal Church of God next door was forced to cancel its regular Thursday night service to repair significant smoke damage, Pastor Bill Gibson said.

"It melted a vinyl window and we have to clean the smoke out of the pews and all the carpets," Gibson said.

More than 70 people attend Gibson's church. It's not clear whether Sunday's services will also be canceled.

Gibson said the neighboring church has been used only sporadically the last few years.

The burned-out building has frequently been inhabited by squatters, but it was not clear if anybody was inside when the fire started.

CONTACT Rob Parsons at rparsons@appealdemocrat.com or 749-4785.Find him on Facebook at /ADcrimebeat or on Twitter at @ADcrimebeat.