Concord Church Building Lost To 2-Alarm Fire

CONCORD, CA — Investigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives — ATF — were working alongside Contra Costa County Fire Protection District to pinpoint the cause of a two-alarm church fire Thursday in Concord.

The blaze was reported around 5:30 a.m. Thursday at Christ Community Church of the Nazarene. Firefighters were met with heavy flames coming from a two-story building at the church, 1650 Ashbury Drive, near Clayton Road and Galindo Street, Con Fire said.

More than a dozen engines and some 75 personnel were sent to the blaze.

Crews fought the fire defensively and had it knocked down by 7 a.m., some 80 minutes after the first crew arrived, a Con Fire spokesperson said on Twitter.

The main building was totally lost to the blaze, Con Fire Spokesman Steve Hill told Patch.

A one-story, adjoining building was spared from flames as were two other buildings on the property, Hill said.

At 2 p.m. Thursday, firefighters along with investigators with Con Fire and the ATF were still on the scene.

"[The] Concord church fire this morning resulted in an unstable 2-story structure that is limiting fire investigators' ability to access the scene," Con Fire said Thursday afternoon. "Heavy equipment to make the structure safe is being brought to the scene. Meantime, investigation continues."

No injuries have been reported as a result of the fire.

This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

Bay City News Service contributed to this report.