ROLLA, MO -- Rolla police believe a 14-year-old is responsible for setting fire to a church.
The 911 call came in at 2:45 p.m. on Wednesday for a fire at the Community Christian Church on East Highway 72.
“Fire personnel encountered heavy fire upon entering the building,” Fire Chief Robert Williams said.
Fire crews brought the blaze under control at about 4:50 p.m., but they stayed on scene until 11 p.m. to extinguish hot spots and conduct an investigation.
After gathering information from the scene, fire investigators determined someone started the fire.
Wednesday evening, officers took a 14-year-old into custody for the incident. Police believe he broke into the church, stole items, and then started the fire.
The juvenile was later turned over to the Phelps County Juvenile Center. An official at the center told KRCG they are looking over a news release from the Rolla Fire Department before deciding whether charges will be filed against the teenager.
Ron Smith with the fire department said the fire caused a “major loss” to the church.
No one was injured.
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