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ST. GEORGE, Utah, Jan. 26, 2019 (Gephardt Daily) — An LDS church complex was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning in St. George.
Flames were first reported coming from the attic of the East Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at 453 S. 300 East at about 1:30 a.m.
When firefighters arrived, the building was already engulfed in smoke and flames.
Fire crews from St. George, Washington City, Santa Clara-Ivins and Hurricane Fire District battled the blaze, finally taking up defensive positions about 2:30 a.m. after a large portion of the structure’s roof collapsed.
The stake center, located across the street from the pioneer-era St. George Temple, had been undergoing renovation for more than a year.
Stake leaders posted the following comment on their Facebook page:
“We were deeply saddened to have received a call at 2:30am informing us that our new St. George East Stake Center was on fire. The building that we were so anticipating moving into over the next few months is gone.
“Those that were up watching it burn were stunned and in complete shock. Our faith is only strengthened as we work through this bump in the road.”
Just Friday, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to close the St. George Temple later in 2019 before beginning a comprehensive renovation project expected to be completed in 2022.
There were no reports of injuries in the Saturday morning blaze.
The cause of the fire has yet to be determined.
