One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
Community Church In Pomona Destroyed By Sunday Fire Hours Before Christmas Celebration
Topline:
Church leadership at Victory Outreach Church said the building has been declared a total loss. A toy giveaway that had been planned for tonight will still take place.
About the church: Victory Outreach, which describes itself as Evangelical and Pentecostal, was founded in Pomona in 1981. The church has planned toy drives throughout the holiday season, according to their Facebook page.
The backstory: More than 100 firefighters worked to extinguish the flames early Sunday morning. The fire started at about 2:47 a.m. Sunday morning and was fully extinguished by about 6:15 a.m., less than four hours before their regular Sunday service. No injuries were reported.
**UPDATE** 2ND ALARM COMMERCIAL BUILDING FIRE | FS182 | 177 W Monterey Ave #Pomona | At approx. 2:47 a.m. #LACoFD Victory Outreach Church | No injuries pic.twitter.com/mbMaxFgNXo
— L.A. County Fire Department (@LACoFDPIO) December 17, 2023
What's next: Victory Outreach said in a Facebook post that despite the fire, they are still moving forward with their planned toy giveaway at 5 p.m. today. The church's regular service and Christmas performance were postponed until further notice.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Sponsored message
To donate: The church has set up a fundraiser to rebuild from the damage.
Trending on LAist
-
The lawsuits allege that SCE's equipment caused the fire that destroyed swaths of Altadena, prompting massive emergency response and ongoing cleanup costs. -
For years, experts warned against developing the unstable cliff top, but property owners prevailed. Now they’re paying the price. -
A day with the Save the Tiles volunteers as they work against time to preserve over 200 fireplaces in Altadena. -
The ban on student cellphone use in the country’s second largest school district starts Tuesday. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/24a2969/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x4192+0+0/resize/664x442!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Government documents show Va Lecia Adams Kellum, who leads an agency that manages over $700 million in homeless services contracts each year, inked deals with the nonprofit where her husband is a senior staffer. -
All of the proceeds from the sales, which were finalized before the fires, go into a new South Pasadena affordable housing fund.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/3c0b139/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6292x4198+0+0/resize/1280x854!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist
