Fire at Sikh mission in Island Lake still a mystery
The cause of a fire that destroyed a Sikh mission in Island Lake continued to be elusive Thursday.
Federal, state and local investigators were at the ruins of the Guru Nanak Sikh Mission of America, 217 W. State Road. But the Tuesday night fire's origin hasn't been determined.
Personnel from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene, as were officials from the state fire marshal's office and the Wauconda Fire Protection District.
Crews planned to use heavy equipment to remove sections of roofing that collapsed during the fire. That effort should give investigators access to more of the structure, officials said.
The facility was a gurdwara, a place of worship for followers of the Sikh faith. It opened in 1997. The building was constructed in 1943 as the First Community Congregational Church.
In 2011, the mission was temporarily shut down by Island Lake's building department because of safety concerns and building-code violations. No recent safety concerns or criminal issues have arisen, Island Lake police said.
No one was in the building when the fire was reported, and no one was injured.