Creston Fire Rescue crews were joined by Wynndel-Lakeview and Canyon-Lister fire departments on the scene after a fire broke out at Creston's Trinity United Church this afternoon.
Smoke could be seen billowing from vents at both ends of the church hall's gables, and a large hole was burned through the roof about feet from the front of the building.
Onlookers speculated that the fire started around 2:20 p.m.
The church and some surrounding building and businesses were evacuated, including Kootenay Employment Services, which was in direct line of much of the smoke, and the adjacent Catalpa apartments, home to about two dozen residents.
The church celebrated its 90th anniversary in Creston earlier this spring. The hall, where the fire was taking place, opened on Feb. 4, 1958, with an official dedication on May 10, 1962. In 1975, the first service was held in the chapel, which has been used as a thrift store for the past few years.