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VIDEO: Investigators seek witnesses to fire at Abbotsford church

Blaze started around 3:45 a.m. Monday at Sevenoaks Alliance Church
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The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) and Abbotsford Fire Rescue Service are appealing for witnesses to a suspicious fire that occurred Monday morning at Sevenoaks Alliance Church.

The blaze was first detected about 3:45 a.m. Fire officials believe the fire started on the outside of building in a covered area, and spread up the building into the attic space.

The church, located at 2575 Gladwin Rd., had just about finished renovations to the roof of the church’s youth centre, which was the original part of the facility and dated back to 1971, according to lead pastor Jamie Fox, who was on scene Monday morning.

“It’s very sad,” he said. “We have been working on this project since the summer. It’s been a long project … and so to see smoke billowing out the side of the roof like that is very sad.”

Work was about to begin on the space’s interior, but that will now likely be delayed, Fox said.

“We’ve been raising money for months and months now and paying to do this and the church family have been really excited to see the development so it makes me very sad to see it like this,” Fox said.

Assistant fire chief Ron Hull said crews struggled to get into the roof to fight the blaze, which caused extensive smoke damage to the building’s interior.

APD Const. Ian MacDonald said the fire would likely have been visible to vehicular traffic on Gladwin Road and to residents living in the nearby high-rise and at other area condominiums.

“We are asking anyone who may have seen something at or near that church … to call us,” he said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the APD at 604-859-5225, text abbypd (222973) or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

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The damage to a roof at Sevenoaks Alliance Church can be seen hours after a fire occurred there early Monday morning. Vikki Hopes photo