CALIFORNIA— A fire was reported at San Gabriel Mission located in San Gabriel, California at 4:24 a.m. on July 11, 2020.
The San Gabriel Fire Department responded to the report, at the church located at 428 S Mission Dr. as the fire burned through the church’s roof and much of the buildings interior.
The fire was knocked down by 6:50 a.m. according to Capt. Antonio Negrete, public information officer for the San Gabriel Fire Department.
No injuries were reported from the fire. Representatives of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were at the scene to investigate the situation. Cause of the fire have yet to be identified as investigators are trying to assess the fire.
Bishop Robert Barron of Archdiocese of Los Angeles stated in tweet on July 11, “Friends, I was deeply troubled to learn that the historic San Gabriel Mission church in Los Angeles was seriously damaged by a fire early this morning. The Archbishop of Los Angeles in on the scene.”
Mission San Gabriel Arcángel, a Roman Catholic Mission was founded on Sept. 8, 1771 by Franciscan priest Junipero Serra making the church 249-years-old. The mission was built with stone, brick and mortar and is considered to be one of the best preserved missions in California.
The altar in the church is the original, which was handcrafted in Mexico City and brought to the Mission in the 1790s. The interior of the church is filled with items of historic importance, including hand carved statues brought to Southern California from Spain.
