WAI'ANAE — Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wai'anae were saddened and perplexed yesterday after a blaze they say was set in broad daylight destroyed half the church complex. The fire followed a third break-in at the church in as many weeks.

"It looks like it was done purposefully, that's my opinion," said Ruben Paet, Makakilo Stake president for the LDS Church, following a tour of what was left of the building at 85-574 Plantation Road. The church chapel itself was spared.

"It looks like they went through the jalousies on the opposite side (ocean side), where you can't see the entry," Paet said. "That's what they did before. I have no idea where they started the fire. It looks like they started it in several places."

Honolulu fire officials at the church determined that the blaze was deliberately started and turned to the matter over to the Honolulu Police Department, which has opened an arson investigation.

The Associated Press reported that last night police were seeking three suspects, and federal agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms joined the investigation because the fire could be classified as a hate crime.

"We're disheartened because this has been a place of fellowship and worship for families and the thousands of people who have come here over the past 40 years," Paet said. "We're very disappointed that people would vandalize like this."

Honolulu firefighters arrived at around 12:45 p.m. and found much of the wood-and-brick building engulfed in flames, said fire Capt. Frank Johnson. The blaze was extinguished about a half hour later.

Johnson said about half of the building was charred, including the gymnasium, kitchen, and some parts of the church offices. Although the fire didn't engulf the chapel, Paet said services for the 500-person congregation will not be held there for the time being because of safety concerns.

Daniel Yamamura, district facilities manager for the LDS Church, also toured the building after the blaze was extinguished. Yamamura said fire officials initially estimated the damage at "$500,000, plus or minus," but Paet said he would put his guess at closer to $1 million.

Paet said the previous two break-ins had been the work of vandals who entered through window louvers on the makai side of the church. He said the church has had similar break-ins over the years, although nothing major had ever been destroyed.

"This building is used almost daily in the morning; we come here for early morning seminary," he said. "And that lasts an hour. And after that's done, we have a physical facilities person who secures the building every day — and he was here this morning."

That person was Gordon Abilla, who said he opened the church at 6 a.m. yesterday for seminary, and had checked out and locked it securely around 8 a.m.

"I was the first person in and the last person out the door," said Abilla, who added that everything seemed to be in order when he left.

But at around 12:30 p.m., church librarian Tonii Mather, who lives across the road, was alerted about the blaze.

"I was just easing down for a nap when one of my friends came by on his bike yelling, 'Tonii, hurry up! Call 911 — the church is on fire!' "

Mather said she dialed the emergency number, then grabbed her church keys and dashed across the road to unlock the gate.

"I was over here in a flash," said Mather. "I saw smoke coming out of the top of the roof back by the gym. And when I went to open up the side door for the firemen, in case they needed in, it was just full of smoke — and I could hear the crashing, and the moving, and the glass breaking."

After the fire, Mather, who suffered mild smoke inhalation but refused aid from firefighters, said she didn't know if the library or computer room she uses had been damaged. However, after going through the damaged areas to help firefighters assess what happened, Abilla said the library had suffered heavy water damage.

"It looks pretty bad," Abilla said to Bishop Leo Tanielu, one of three bishops at the chapel. Abilla informed Tanielu that his office had been extensively damaged by fire and water and that the office of Bishop William Wesgensen had been destroyed.

Tanielu, who sat on a rock ledge at the side of the lawn, tried to make sense of the destruction.

"We will overcome this," he said when he finally spoke. "We just hope the people who did this will be better people. We will pray for them and for this whole community. That's what Jesus wanted. For us to forgive them."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.