KILAUEA, Kauai >> A Kauai police officer is being credited with preventing a historic church from burning down on the eve of Easter. 

A patrol officer responded when dispatchers received a report of a fire at the Christ Memorial Episcopal Church in Kilauea Saturday night. The officer was able to extinguish the blaze before firefighters arrived. 

The county is not identifying the officer because the fire and vandalism are under investigation. 

The Rev. Robin Taylor says she and two others worked through the night scrubbing walls and cleaning soot for the 1930s church to be ready for Easter Sunday service. 

She says it appears prayer books and hymnals were used to start the fire. 

The Garden Island reports the vandalism included damaged stained-glass windows, a brass crucifix and tombstones.