Burnaby firefighters were mopping up Sunday morning after a late-night fire at a local religious site.
Around 9 p.m. on Saturday night, Burnaby firefighters were called to 7271 Gilley Ave. for a report of a fire at the Shri Guru Ravidass Sabha Community Centre and Temple, also just known as the Gilley Temple.
When firefighters arrived, they found heavy fire coming from a large vehicle which was up against the building, according to one person who was at the scene.
The fire spread into the building, but firefighters were able to quickly stop it from spreading any further.
The cause of the fire is under investigation.
The NOW reached out by phone to the temple, but the person answering said members were still assessing the damage and couldn’t comment.
The temple is a prominent member of Burnaby, holding annual events that draw thousands of people.
The annual Nagar Kirtan Parade celebrates the birth anniversary of their guru, marking more than 640 years since the birth of Shri Guru Ravidass Ji, a 15th century saint who called for a casteless society.
According to the video below that was posted to YouTube more than 10 years ago, the temple was hit by another devastating fire on Dec. 1, 2009.
