Fire destroys home behind Modesto church

A two-alarm fire destroyed a vacant house behind Christian Love Baptist Church on Wednesday morning, damaging the church and another house.

Modesto firefighters were dispatched to the home at H and Second streets at 8:48 a.m., at first receiving conflicting reports of whether it was a church or a home on fire.

From downtown Modesto, a column of smoke could be seen rising from the structure.

The first arriving crews found a vacant home located in the back of a lot, fully involved with fire; a vacant house in front of it was taking on flames, and the church to the north also started to catch fire.

Downed live wires made access difficult, according to the Modesto Fire Department.

A second alarm was called, bringing additional resources to battle the flames.

The destroyed home and the damage to the other two structures is estimated to cost between $60,000 and $80,000.

The cause has not been determined, but investigators say it’s likely human caused and is considered suspicious.

This story was originally published April 22, 2015 at 1:36 PM with the headline "Fire destroys home behind Modesto church."