Pembroke Township church completely engulfed in flames in early morning fire, deemed total loss

PEMBROKE TOWNSHIP, Ill. (WLS) -- A fire broke out Friday morning at a vacant church in Pembroke Township, police said.

The fire started around 2:30 a.m. at Christian Hope Missionary Baptist Church in the 3900-block of South Main Street, police said. The building was fully engulfed when police and firefighters arrived at the scene.

No one was inside the church at the time of the fire, police said. Firefighters worked to put out the flames by pouring water on the building.

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The church has been deemed a total loss after the structure was nearly completely destroyed, police said.

A cause for the fire is still not known at this time, police said. The State Fire Marshal is investigating the incident.