Wednesday, Nov 12, 2014: Officials from the ATF and the Illinois State Fire Marshal's office were called to investigate a two-alarm fire that destroyed a Sikh temple Tuesday night in Island Lake, northwest of Chicago.

Baba Daljit Singh could only watch as flames licked the Guru Nanak Sikh Mission, at 217 W. State Rd., at about 8:25 p.m.

"It's very sad news because our religious stuff is here," he said. "I am burning inside."

Fire crews had to tackle the fire from outside the building using handlines and aerial streams due to unsafe conditions caused by hidden fire in the walls and the floors above.

Wauconda Fire Chief David Dato told reporters at the scene that the Sikh temple was a "very, very old structure."

No one was believed to be in the building at the time of the fire and no one was injured, fire officials said.

The Wauconda Fire Protection District was assisted by firefighters from Lake Zurich, Cary, Nunda, Fox Lake, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, McHenry, Round Lake, Wonder Lake, Grayslake, Lake Villa, Barrington Countryside, Long Grove, Countryside, Woodstock, Marengo and the MESS Canteen.