Fire Damages Oceanside Church, Services to Resume

A two-alarm fire that caused $20,000 in damage to an Oceanside strip mall started near a sauna, but the official cause of the blaze remained under investigation, fire officials said today.

The fire was reported just before 10 p.m. Friday at housed in the end unit of the strip mall at 3955 Mission Ave, according to the Oceanside Fire Department. it was not clear which occupant owned the sauna.

Firefighters arrived to find the occupants had already left the building, which was filled with smoke from a fire that was burning near the rear of the structure, fire officials said.

Engine crews stretched hose lines and were able to suppress the fire as truck companies opened the roof to allow for ventilation. The building had a fire protection system, but it had been shut off, officials said.

Although the exact cause of the fire remained under investigation, the blaze was determined to have started in the area of a sauna contained in the building, officials said.

Crews had the blaze under control about 10:30 p.m. and the crews' rapid response to get water on the fire prevented it from becoming devastating, officials said.

Pastor Mario Bonillas told Patch that regular services will continue Sunday despite the damage.

— City News Service and Camp Pendleton Patch editor Daniel Woolfolk contributed to this report.

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