COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- Church members boarded up the windows of Restoring Hope Church Saturday after a three-alarm fire destroyed the inside of the building.
"There's just extensive smoke damage it was so hot it even melted the light fixtures throughout the second floor," Pastor Doug Anderson, of Restoring Hope Church said.
Caution tape surrounds what was supposed to be the congregation's new home.
Instead the security measure is keeping the community away from a dangerous and burnt sanctuary.
"The hardest thing for us is we are an inner city church so we're just praying for a location," Anderson, said.
Restoring Hope had just moved into the building and were prepping for their big grand opening scheduled to take place Sunday.
The celebration won't happen as planned but church officials and the owner of the building Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church are determined to make it happen eventually.
"We're here for the long haul, we'll be here to help them restore," Kevin Hagans, of Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church said.
The building owner does have insurance so the focus turns to finding a temporary location.
Restoring Hope will have Sunday service at 6 o'clock at First Presbyterian at 219 E. Bijou St.
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