Fire officials say they haven’t ruled out arson simply because it is too early to tell what caused the blaze. Some residents who live near to the facility in the 2900 block of Pershing Avenue fear the children who frequent the club will no longer have a safe place to play. The building has been a fixture in the community for decades. Residents like Miriam baker are devastated by the loss, Fire officials say they haven’t ruled out arson simply because it is too early to tell what caused the blaze. “Just think about all the kids that are not going to have a place to go. It's hard.” Baker grew up playing basketball at the Boys’ and Girls’ Club. She's seen first-hand what a difference it's made in the lives of children in the community. "Because if they don't come here, they're going to end up in the street, in jail or somewhere or even dead. That’s what this place was about." Baker says her godparents have been managing the facility for years and now that it's gone. They're trying to figure out how to keep their mission alive. "Hopefully they'll be able to come up with something.] A quick solution to accommodate all these kids." Fire officials think the blaze might have been started by a heater in the office upstairs. Still their investigation is far from over. Fire officials say "It’s going to take a few days for ups to go through all the evidence that's there before we make a determination of the cause.”
