FOREST GROVE, Ore. -- An electrical failure between the basement and first floor caused the fire that destroyed a Forest Grove church on Saturday, firefighters said.
No one was at the Hillside Bible Church when the fire was reported and no injuries were reported.
The morning after the church building burned down, a local congregation showed up on Sunday to worship outside on the land where their building once stood.
The church published a letter on its website, thanking firefighters for putting out the fire, and inviting anyone who wanted to come out Sunday morning "for prayer and fellowship."
"Don't forget to bring your umbrella," the letter read.
"We are truly blessed that no one was injured or in the building at the time," the church wrote in the letter. "Even though our building has gone, our church family is still alive and well and are very excited to see what God has in store for us."
According to the wife of church spokesman Doug Shearer, the church had sentimental value to the community. The church has been around since the 1900s, she told KGW, and had hosted many weddings and funerals over the years.
PHOTOS: Hillside Bible Church burns down
PHOTOS: Hillside Bible Church in Forest Grove burns down
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was dispatched to the church, just east of the community of Gales Creek at 49820 Northwest Clapshaw Hill Road, at 5:50 p.m. Saturday.
Crews found the church to be fully engulfed in flames, and the steeple and roof collapsed five minutes after they arrived.
Because the church is in a rural area, there were no fire hydrants nearby and water had to be brought to the scene, making fighting the fire difficult.
The building is a total loss, firefighters reported.
One firefighter from Banks Fire District received burns to their hand and was treated on scene.
Forest Grove Fire & Rescue was assisted in this two-alarm blaze by Cornelius Fire Department, Gaston Fire District, Hillsboro Fire & Rescue, Banks Fire District, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue and the Washington County Sheriffs Office.