WESTMINSTER - A structure fire early Monday morning on West 108th Avenue and Dover Street in Westminster completely engulfed a Buddhist temple.
The Lao Buddhist Temple went up in flames just before 6 a.m. Firefighters had the blaze control within 30 minutes and were continuing to clean-up hot spots into the later part of the morning.
One monk was injured in the fire.
Monk Ounkham Veunnasack says he was sleeping inside the main building when the fire started.
"I get out, open door, said 'Oh it's a fire!' so I hold my nose, I run out," he said.
He was taken to a nearby hospital with smoke inhalation and burns, but was later released.
The building has been deemed a total loss.
Firefighters worked diligently to respect the religious nature of the building. About 50 Buddha statues were inside the temple - one of which was 10-feet-tall and reportedly made in Thailand. Firefighters had to cut the walls down so worshippers could get them out safely because they did not want crews touching the sacred statues. As of Monday night, one of the most significant Buddha statues had been removed, while the large one remained inside the ruins.
"The strong mind and spirit is with the statue," temple accountant Oscar Thammasine said. "It has been here for a long time and people believe and pray to it. That is the reason why it is the most important thing."
Thammasine says more than 200 people chant and pray at the temple on a regular basis.
"We see it as a center. That is how we all meet," he said. "Pretty much everyone knows each other."
Thammasine says the temple has been in its current location for more than 30 years. He says the only other Laotian Buddhist temple in the state is in Brighton.
He said the temple leaders are still trying to determine where else the community might be able to worship, and where the three monks who live at the temple full-time might be able to stay.
"We have to move forward because things like this happening - it's Mother Nature no one can stop," Thammasine said.
It is unknown at this time what caused the fire, though Westminster Fire officials say they have no reason to believe the fire was intentionally set.
The Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms was also called to assist with the investigation, which Westminster Fire officials say is a common practice for fires that start at religious institutions.
A bank account had been set up to accept donation to the Lao Buddhist Temple with First Bank under the name "Lao Buddhist Fire Relief Fund."
(KUSA-TV © 2011 Multimedia Holdings Corporation)