For years, those attending one of Stockton’s most beautiful churches have worried about the threat of fire.
Unhoused people who sleep on the grounds of the First Unitarian Universalist Church of Stockton have sometimes lit fires to cook food or stay warm at night.
Now, after an early-morning fire damaged the entryway of the Pacific Avenue church and caused extensive smoke damage, those fears were realized.
“We’re all kind of in shock from what’s going on,” office manager Suzi Treganza said.
The cost of repairs to the landmark house of worship is still being assessed, Treganza said. The blaze damaged the left side of the door to the sanctuary as well as the entryway.
Treganza said the brick church, built in the 1930s, has fire insurance. But smoke from the blaze was extensive enough that upcoming services will likely be moved to a rear patio area on the church’s leafy campus.
The fire broke out at 3:03 a.m. Tuesday, Deputy Fire Chief Erik Patten said. It was determined to have started outside the church, but the cause is still under investigation.
Patten said the Stockton Fire Department occasionally gets calls about fires being intentionally set, usually in sloughs or underpasses. He advises homeowners or business owners who are concerned about damage to install security cameras, a big help to investigators when trying to determine how a blaze started.
Treganza said fires near the Unitarian Universalist church have been an outgoing issue.
“It’s been an on-and-off problem. We often have people who sleep on our front steps,” she said. “I have, on occasion, had to chase people off who have lit fires,” and some of them were set close to the front door, she added.
Though the church is not in his district, Stockton Councilmember Brando Villapudua said he urges homeowners and businesses to be more proactive in calling authorities if they see fires on the street or other “things out of place.” When reached for comment, he said he sends “my love and prayers to those who worship at the church.”
Treganza said it is those kinds of responses that have been reassuring amid the crisis.
“It’s been a wonderful outpouring,” she said.