A fire gutted a church in Aurora early this morning. The cause is still under investigation.

The fire started at about 2:25 a.m. at 17701 E. Yale Ave., a Jehovah’s Witness church, said Battalion Chief Cindy Andersen, an Aurora Fire Department spokeswoman.

The fire was reported by a passerby who saw smoke streaming out of the building.

It took 16 firefighters about 20 minutes to bring the fire under control, Andersen said.

 

 

Firefighters fought the blaze in frigid weather, the temperature was 12 degrees, Andersen said. Holes were cut in the roof of the building to vent smoke.

An accelerant detection dog is being used to help fire investigators in the case. The dog was pulled out for some time because of safety concerns in the building, so the investigation has slowed, Andersen said this evening. It may be Saturday before any new information is available.

No one was at the church when firefighters arrived. No one was injured.

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