Large fire destroys abandoned church in Central Fresno
FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Firefighters battled a fire at an abandoned church in Central Fresno on Friday night. The large fire burned at the old Sun Shade building on Abby, south of Belmont.
The Fresno Fire Department says it went into defensive mode because the building had been abandoned for years. They knew the building was boarded up and was far too dangerous to enter when they spotted the flames on the second floor. Ladder trucks doused the building from overhead.
Firefighters say the building was nearly 100 years old. It was a church at one point, but was later used as a commercial building before being abandoned. Neighbors say squatters were often seen going into the abandoned building.
No firefighters were injured. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
