A small fire at St. Mary’s Church caused an estimated $8,000 in damages Sunday afternoon, almost 35 years after an arson fire damaged the church.

At about 3 p.m., the DeKalb Fire Department responded to a fire alarm at the church, 321 Pine St., and found smoke in the building. Responding firefighters were able to extinguish the small fire, which was found in a storage area near the altar, said DeKalb Fire Chief Bruce Harrison.

The building had some smoke damage, but responding fire crews were able to ventilate the building to prevent additional damage, Harrison said.

The fire, which was ruled accidental, was caused by incense used in a mass earlier that day that were thrown away in a garbage can, Harrison said.

On Nov. 23, 35 years ago, the church had a significant fire caused by arson, Harrison said.

“The church didn’t have an alarm system 35 years ago,” he said. “It kind of shows you the value of the system.”

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