A Stockton church was partially burned early Tuesday morning following a fire, church administrators said.
The front left side of the First Unitarian Universalist Church, located at 2737 Pacific Avenue, was found burned and damaged including the sanctuary door and foyer.
First Unitarian Universalist Church is of liberal religion with its historical roots in the Jewish and Christian traditions, according to its website.
Suzi Treganza, office administrator for the church, said surveillance cameras showed smoke, but not much else could be seen leading up to the blaze.
A spokesperson for the Stockton Fire Department could not be immediately reached for information about what time the fire was called in.
The Stockton Police Department said its department received a call from the fire department after 3 a.m. to assist with traffic control, but the request was canceled.
Treganza said if the fire had not been reported by someone the extent of the damage could have been worse.
Although the church does not know who set the fire, Treganza said she believes it could have been unhoused people trying to keep warm.
She said there have been instances when she arrives at the church for work and unhoused residents have made fires for themselves leaving her to ask them to extinguish them.
Additionally, the church being set on fire came after four of its rose trees had been stolen.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the empty spaces of the front of the church that had burned had been boarded up with plywood.
Repairs for the damage are set to begin Wednesday. However, Treganza said anyone who wishes to make donations to the nonprofit church could still do so.
One member of the church stopped by to see what had occurred and asked about Sunday services.
Treganza said services for Sunday could be halted, but that will not be known until the church begins working on the damage and assesses the conditions.
Record reporter Victoria Franco covers public safety in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at vfranco@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow.
This article originally appeared on The Record: Stockton church partially burned following early morning fire
Reporting by Victoria Franco, The Stockton Record / The Record
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