The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. on Monday
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St. George’s Coptic Orthodox Church in Surrey was destroyed by fire on Monday morning.
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The fire broke out around 3:30 a.m. at the Eastern Orthodox Christian Church located at 13905 108 Ave in the Whalley neighborhood.
The Surrey Fire Department deployed 32 firefighters and 10 trucks for the three-alarm blaze.
Surrey Deputy Fire Chief Shelley Morris said the church was completely engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived and the structure was on the verge of collapse.
“We had firefighters outside in defensive mode throwing water and then the roof collapsed,†Morris said.
The church, which was completely destroyed except for a wall on the north side, was built in 1960.
Morris says the cause of the fire is still under investigation.
“We just have to wait for the hot spots to go out before we can go in and conduct a proper investigation,†she said.
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