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LAPLACE —The State Fire Marshal’s Office is continuing its investigation into what caused a fire at the unoccupied Greater Morning Star Baptist Church in LaPlace over the weekend. Deputies have determined the fire originated in the attic, possibly due to an electrical malfunction.

Just before 6:30 a.m. on Jan. 9, St. John Parish Fire Rescue was alerted to a structure fire at Greater Morning Star Baptist Church, located in the 1000 block of Balsam Street in LaPlace. Units arrived at the church within four minutes of being dispatched and found heavy flames coming from the roof of the church.

First-arriving crews began attacking the fire from the exterior with an aerial device while other personnel accessed the structure from a side door. Interior crews quickly stopped the fire from advancing any further throughout the structure and began to extinguish the main body of fire. There was no one at the location at the time of the fire.

The damage to the building was determined to be extensive.

The assistance of the State Fire Marshal’s Office was later requested to help determine the origin and cause of the fire due to it occurring in a religious building.

Following an assessment of the scene, State Fire Marshal deputies have determined the fire originated in the attic. At this time, an exact cause remains undetermined. However, deputies have been unable to rule out an electrical malfunction possibly related to the church’s heating system.

Pastor Bryant K. Warren Sr. and the Greater Morning Star Baptist Church family thanked St. John Parish Fire Rescue for their outstanding work extinguishing the fire.