Marysville veterans hall damaged by fire

Firefighters from at least four jurisdictions knocked down a fire Monday at the Veterans Memorial Community Center in Marysville, but not before most of the west side of the building had burned and taken the contents with it.

"The PA system, drums, amps, pulpit, even our worship CDs are inside — everything, man," said a resigned Rev. Benny Madrid, pastor of the Praise Chapel Revival Center, which used the hall along with the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts.

The cause of the blaze remained under investigation late Monday.

Neighbors reported seeing the first flames around 6:45 p.m., accompanied by dark, billowing smoke. It quickly spread to a utility pole at the back of the building, causing a popping noise described by one witness like a "big, wet firecracker."

Firefighters from Cal Fire in Marysville arrived, as well as engines from the Yuba City, Linda and Olivehurst fire departments. Six engines and 25 firefighters were on scene, according to Cal Fire Battalion Chief Curt Williges.

Two-thirds of the roof collapsed sometime after 7, and firefighters entered the building about 15 minutes later. Streams of water could be seen shooting out from the inside of the hall, while other firefighters continued to douse the building from the outside.

All doors were locked and no one was inside the veterans hall, firefighters said.

The veterans hall is located at 1703 Elm St. but abuts B Street just south of the railroad trestle and is north of All Seasons RV Stadium.

The area where the fire appeared to start is where the kitchen is located, witnesses confirmed.

The veterans center building, once owned by Yuba County, is the home base of the American Legion's Post 42 and VFW Post 948.

With both groups increasingly relying on tenants for their revenue — Praise Chapel has held services there for more than a year — immediate plans for a new home were uncertain, said Chuck Carver, a member of the VFW post.

"Everything's a question mark: What's gonna happen and what we're gonna do," he said, watching from 17th Street as firefighters gradually tamped down the flames and smoke.

Fire crews contained the blaze in about 30 minutes, said Williges, who added the hall's cinder-block construction may have prevented its total destruction and could make it possible to rebuild.

Flames reaching the pole west of the building got to a Comcast Corp. cable and cut off television service to about 250 homes between 12th and 17th streets, said Wyman Harrell, a line technician at the scene. A nearby power line was not damaged, according to Williges.