A weekend blaze at a church in Arlington Heights that caused extensive smoke damage was likely ignited by an unattended candle, authorities said Monday.
There were no injuries from the fire Sunday at Christian Church of Arlington Heights, 333 W. Thomas St., which was empty at the time the blaze broke out in a community room at around 3 p.m., Arlington Heights fire Chief Andrew Larson said.
Firefighters arriving on the scene saw a visible fire and cut a hole in the roof of the one-story building to let the smoke escape, Larson said.
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While Larson said the building did not sustain structural damage, he said the community room where the fire originated was “completely gutted by smoke” and the church’s sanctuary will also require an extensive clean-up.
The building will also be uninhabitable until the smoke damage is repaired, Larson said.
According to the church’s website, all in-person activities had already been canceled there until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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