A singed hymnal on the pulpit in the aftermath of a fire at St. Johns United Methodist Church Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 
Los Angeles City firefighters look over the aftermath of a fire at St. Johns United Methodist Church Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022 in Los Angeles, CA. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) 
Authorities examine the aftermath of a fire Sunday at St. John’s United Methodist Church in Watts, where flames left a silhouette of a cross.(Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Los Angeles fire investigators are trying to determine what sparked a blaze at a historic Watts church over the weekend that charred the roof and interior of the nearly 100-year-old sanctuary.
The fire at St. John’s United Methodist Church in the 1700 block of Santa Ana Boulevard started about 11:20 a.m. Saturday in vegetation outside the church before spreading inside the two-story house of worship, according to preliminary information from the Los Angeles Fire Department.
Roughly 80 firefighters battled the blaze for nearly an hour before finally extinguishing the fire, according to LAFD.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. Arson investigators responded to the scene, as is protocol for fires at houses of worship, said LAFD spokesman Nicholas Prange.
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