Photo courtesy of Linda Kolander Flames erupt through the roof of the former First Presbyterian Church building in Vesta early Tuesday morning.

VESTA — Firefighters from four different communities were called to help put out a large fire at an unoccupied church building in Vesta early Tuesday morning. No injuries were reported, but the fire destroyed the former First Presbyterian Church.

The fire was investigated by the State Fire Marshal’s Office, but it’s not known what caused the fire, said Vesta Fire Chief Travis Welch.

Neighbors of the church building reported the fire around 1:15 a.m. Tuesday, Welch said.

“It was fully engulfed,” Welch said of the structure. “We had a state trooper who said he could see the fire seven miles away.”

The church building was unoccupied at the time of the fire, Welch said. One of the main risks firefighters faced was cold temperatures that could create ice at the scene, he said.

The Vesta Fire Department called in mutual aid from Seaforth, Lucan and Echo.

Welch thanked the responding departments for their help.

“They all did a great job,” he said.

According to a Vesta city history book, the First Presbyterian Church congregation was founded in 1899, and the church building was constructed in 1900. Membership declined over the years, until in 1991, church members voted to merge with another congregation in Redwood Falls.

The Vesta church was closed in 1992, the city history said.