Fire snuffed at historic Vallejo theater

A fire in Vallejo early this morning at a community center housed in a century-old building resulted in minor damage, fire officials said.

Firefighter responded to a report of a structure fire in the area of Wilson and Daniels avenues shortly after midnight, fire officials said.

Arriving crews found the fire burning at the Mira Community Cultural Center at 51 Daniels Ave., according to fire officials.

Firefighters were able to quickly put the blaze under control, fire officials said.

It appears the fire started underneath a stairwell outside the building and worked its way into the structure, according to fire officials.

Neighbors and staff at the center an hour before the fire reported to police of a person who was “disturbing the peace,” fire officials said.

The person may be related to the blaze, fire officials said.

Investigators obtained evidence at the scene and have yet to determine if the fire was arson, fire officials said. No injuries were reported.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Karimah Karah, president of Mira center, said the fire sparked outside the south wing of the building and resulted in minimal damage.

After assessing the smoke damage, Karah hopes the building will reopen in the next week.

The building built in the early 1900s was once a school that has since closed, she said.

Karah didn’t know how much it would cost to repair the staircase, but said work will be done to repair the façade and maintain the building’s original design:

“We’re the oldest theatre in operation and under single operation this side of the Mississippi.”

The building also serves “good works” organizations that can use the space for functions such as meetings, she said.

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