Sept. 24--A three-alarm fire Monday destroyed a church in the heart of West Oakland known for serving meals to the hungry.
About 50 firefighters battled flames at the Zion First Church of God in Christ, a Baptist church at the corner of Center and Eighth streets, after the fire was reported at 2:48 p.m. The stucco-exterior building with a pitched roof was still standing when the fire was extinguished but was a total loss, said fire Battalion Chief Melinda Drayton.
There were no injuries. It took about 45 minutes to bring the fire under control.
The fire appeared to start at the front of the church, but the cause is unknown, Drayton said.
Neighbors said in addition to feeding the hungry, the church leased out its parking lot for BART riders who use the nearby West Oakland station.
Yvonne Young, a longtime West Oakland resident who lives a block from the church, said she heard two popping sounds like firecrackers Monday afternoon, and then something heavy fall.
"I looked out the window and saw big plumes of smoke and lots of flames shooting up," Young said. "The cross was on fire."
Tasha Williams was walking from a convenience store to her car just down the street when she saw a transformer on a power line outside the church blow up.
"I was afraid it would hit my car -- everyone was running," she said.
"The church has been out here forever," Williams said. "It's so sad to see it go."
Carolyn Jones and Neal Riley are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Twitter: @carolynajones, @realdealneal
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