Arsonists caused damage to the doors of Holy Rosary Church in Paia, Maui, on Thanksgiving night.

Holy Rosary deacon Patrick Constantino said that a call was made on Nov. 22 to 911 about a trash bin fire at the church but police responding to the scene didn’t see anything and left.

However, Constantino said that a dispatcher found the situation odd and sent someone back to the church to double-check. Around the same time, at 8:35 p.m., a passing motorist also reported the fire.

The Fire Department responded and was able to extinguish the fire, which was burning the church’s main entrance oak doors. It was determined that the fire was started by an accelerant thrown at the door and church porch and then set afire.

“[The damage] would have been very extensive if the dispatcher didn’t send someone back out to check out the place,” Constantino said.

The fire department placed the damage to the doors at $3,000 but Constantino thinks cost will be higher. The church is now waiting for an insurance estimate.

Because it wants to be ready for the Dec. 16 installation Masses at Holy Rosary and St. Rita in Haiku of its pastor Father Patrick Freitas, the parish is going ahead with plans to power wash the porch roof and church floors, which were blackened by the fire, and clean-up the fire damage.

The burned doors are still lockable and in use but will soon need to be replaced. Masses at Holy Rosary continue as usual.

“Only when we close the church doors can you can see all the black on the doors,” Constantino said. Two weeks after the fire, the smell of smoke still lingered, he said.

Police are investigating the arson but no suspects have been found yet.