A Post Falls church and preschool "sustained heavy and significant damage" in an early morning fire Sunday.

Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Fire Chief Pete Holley said the second-story roof collapsed, and there was extensive damage to one end of the building. There was also smoke damage, he said. Part of the building was saved.

The Idaho State Fire Marshal's Office had an investigator on-site Monday. The cause of the blaze remains under investigation.

The River Church canceled its morning service and invited members to gather and pray at the church grounds.

"Our building may be damaged, but the church, the body of Christ, is alive and well," said Pastor Steve Karst.

The Little Explorers Learning Academy is part of The River Church campus in the 1600 block of East Horsehaven Avenue. 

Firefighters responded to the scene after the call came in about 4 a.m. to see flames rising from the structure. Upon arrival, they requested a second alarm.

"Due to the size of the building and challenges with accessing the fire, crews were on scene through the late morning hours," KCFR said in a press release.

The building was empty at the time. There were no reported injuries

One parent is leading a fundraiser to help the preschool recover.

"As a parent in this community, Little Explorers Learning Academy has meant so much to my family and so many others," wrote Wyatt Luedecke in a GoFundMe post. "It’s not just a childcare and preschool — it’s a place where our kids felt safe, loved, and excited to learn every single day. The teachers poured their hearts into the children, and it quickly became like a second home for many of our families."

About $3,000 has been raised toward the $15,000 goal.

Karst said their church family remains strong and united in faith.

"The church is the people not the steeple, and we are a strong loving church family fully whole and intact and we stand ready to love our community with a building or not at the moment," wrote Penny Burciaga in a social media post.

Others who responded to the fire included the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department, Northern Lakes Fire District, Hauser Lake Fire District, Spokane Valley Fire and Post Falls Police Department.