Fire broke out at an Islamic school in southeast Houston on Friday morning, destroying most of the building that was going to be turned into a family center, USA Today reported.
An investigation by Houston Fire Department's arson officers is being conducted into the cause of the blaze, with attempts to figure out if it had been intentionally set, according to Kenyatta Parker, a spokesman for Houston Fire Department. There were no reports of injuries since the building was closed at the time of the fire, with no one inside.
"We got it before it got out of control," Parker said, adding that "we have no idea yet" of what might have sparked the blaze.
At about 5:30 a.m. on Friday, a one-alarm blaze at the Quba Islamic Institute, near Gulfstream Park, alerted firefighters of the fire, according to the Houston Fire Department. For almost an hour, 25 firefighters battled heavy smoke and flames that shot from the institute building's roof, Los Angeles Times reported.
Forty minutes later, firefighters were eventually able to gain an upper hand in controlling the flames and extinguishing the blaze before it damaged the main building, Parker said.
An addition at the back of the main building suffered most of the heavy damage, officials said, describing the destruction as a complete loss, the Associated Press reported.
The Quba Islamic Institute serves as a school for youth and helps train community leaders, according to its website. The institute, known to host daily prayers at 6:15 a.m., is an "Islamic school for Muslim youth, a place where they can properly learn about Islam and become leading members of our community."
The school also holds various Islamic activities and programs "aimed at strengthening the social and religious ties of our community, something we affectionately call 'The Quba Family,'" the website states.
Those who attend the facility said the building had been recently purchased and was intended to be used as a family center.
Meanwhile, at this point, officials have no reason to believe the fire was intentionally set, Parker said.
The imam and other officials at the institute did not return calls on Friday morning, the weekly Muslim day of worship.
