COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – A rash of brush fires in Colonie are under investigation. The latest fire destroying a garage and coming dangerously close to the Blessed Virgin Mary of Czestochowa Parish.

“I was told it burned down. I thought there’d be something that looked a little bit like a garage left. I didn’t realize it was going to be pretty much down to the ground,” said Parishioner Chair, Mark Roach.

Pastor Mark who was on scene Monday night when the fire was burning, he did not want to go on camera, but he tells NEWS10 it was very scary. He says he was not allowed on the property.

Officials say the fire started around 10:30 p.m. behind the church in a wooded brush area.

“From what I understand, a brush fire that started off to the little left of the garage that somehow came down and engulfed the garage itself,” said Roach.

Roach says that fire officials tell him this the third brush fire to happen in the area in as many weeks.

“You can kind of see that it’s odd. I mean all of this was full of leaves and undergrowth and that’s gone from this area,” said Roach.

NEWS10 has reached out to the Colonie Police Department for more on the three fires and they sent us the following statement:

“[We are] aware of some other brush fires in the area over the past few weeks.  We are investigating all of these incidents and are unsure at this point if they are related or not.  So far, we have nothing to indicate that they are related. The Town of Colonie Fire Services is assisting in our investigation, but I don’t believe a cause has been determined yet.” 

The pastor says it could have been much worse. The entire Christmas pageant set up was stored in the burnt down garage. Thankfully, it was moved and relocated two years ago.

The fire did not destroy the spirit of the parishioners as their Golumpki, or as it is more formally known, Gołąbki, the rolling continues. On Tuesday, the church is still able to prepare the food for their June 10 Pop-up cookout, Polish style.