PORTAGE, Mich. — A fire at a Portage church was caused by materials spontaneously combusting, according to fire officials.
The fire broke out at Valley Family Church on Vincent Avenue around midnight Tuesday. Fire crews at the scene found smoke inside the building. A small fire was later located in the church's workshop with help from a church employee, who had been watching the fire through security cameras.
The fire was put out with an extinguisher and crews worked to ventilate the building.
Officials determined the fire was caused by materials spontaneously combusting. Church staff had been working on a project that involved staining wooden slats. Those materials were left in a garbage container before they had finished drying, and enough heat was generated to start the fire, officials say.
The church only sustained minor damage. No one was injured.
Anyone with information on this fire is asked to contact Portage Public Safety at 329-4567 or Silent Observer at 343-2100 or www.kalamazoosilentobserver.com.
