Church of Grace at the Ukrainian Community Center on Hardie Avenue Southwest suffered extensive damage in an early morning fire Thursday.

It is one of five suspicious fires that have been set in the downtown and north Renton areas in the last month or so, said Deputy Fire Chief Greg Hartman.

A Renton Police officer saw two juveniles running from the scene just before the fire was observed. Where the fire started is not easily visible from the street.

Because the fire was at a church, the protocol is to call in federal Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives investigators to work with local fire investigators, he said

There is no indication that the fire was a hate crime, he said.

But fire officials want to make the point that an “abnormally” high number of intentionally set fires have occurred and that homeowners or businesses owners should get rid of exterior debris that would present someone with a “crime of opportunity,” he said.

If similar fires occur, Hartman said the fire department will step up its public education efforts.

Damage to the building was estimated at between $750,000 and $1 million, he said.

“There is significant structural and water damage,” he said.

The fire started in a pile of debris next to the exterior wall, then ran up the wall and extended into the eaves and attic areas. Fire crews cut holes in the roof for ventilation and to extinguish the fire.

The fire was reported at about 2 a.m. and extinguished about 90 minutes later.

Church administrator Vitaliy Soltys received a phone call from firefighters early Thursday morning.

Because of damage and safety concerns, Sunday school classes have been canceled at the youth center, but Sunday services will continue as they are held in a different part of the building,  Soltys said.

First-floor classrooms suffered water and smoke damage.

“They don’t want us to walk in, because it can collapse or something,” said Soltys.

He doesn’t think the church or community center was targeted, saying the church didn’t even think that something like that could happen.

An insurance adjuster was at the scene Thursday. It’s “going to take awhile” to plan and complete the repairs, Soltys said.

The community center, visible from Rainier Avenue, was not affected, other than some smoke smell.