Fire investigators are looking for an arsonist who set an Orangevale church on fire early Saturday morning, Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District officials said.

Firefighters were called out to the blaze just after midnight at the Oak Avenue Free Methodist Church, 8790 Oak Avenue in Orangevale, Pebbles said. Crews discovered the fire had already burned itself out after doing about $5,000 in damage to the roof.

"Had we had fire up into the attic, we definitely would have had a big fire and it could have easily spread into the main body of the church," Pebbles said.

"They discovered that someone had poured an ignitable liquid all over the roof with an attempt to burn this church down," Sacramento Metro Fire spokesman Christian Pebbles said.