Suspected Texas church arsons now 11 (this year alone - in East Texas)

[sonias]

Looks like we have a serial arsonist or more targeting East Texas Churches. :grr:

Baptist Press 2/10/10
Suspected Texas church arsons now 11

SMITH COUNTY, Texas (BP)--Two more Baptist churches, less than two miles apart, burned Monday night, making a total of 11 East Texas churches damaged or destroyed by fire since the New Year and seven confirmed as arsons, authorities say.

The latest buildings consumed were declared a total loss despite the response from four volunteer fire departments.

Investigators from the Smith County Fire Marshal's office and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were at Dover Baptist Church and Clear Springs Missionary Baptist Church in Smith County Feb. 9 trying to determine the cause of the fires. Because arson has been confirmed in seven other church burnings in the region, ATF special agent Tom Crowley said it is the suspected cause of the latest fire, but confirmation will take a few days.

Federal investigators have, once again, upped the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the suspect to $25,000 from an earlier figure of $10,000. Ironically, the increased reward was due to be announced Tuesday before the additional fires, Crowley said. Anyone with information about the fires is asked to call the ATF at 903-590-1475.

(snip)
Crowley, based in the ATF's Dallas office, said the latest fires are possibly associated with a string of church blazes set since Jan. 1. There have been seven confirmed arsons -- three in Athens, two in Tyler, one in Lindale, and one in Wills Point. Each of the fires was started from inside the churches and representatives from some of the churches reported items were stolen prior to the buildings being set on fire.

CNN 2/11/10
Two latest Texas church fires ruled arson
The two latest fires in a string of church blazes in east Texas have been ruled arson, bringing the total of deliberately-set fires to 10, authorities said Thursday.

Fires destroyed Dover Baptist Church and Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church on Monday night. The churches are located about three miles apart near Tyler, Texas.

There have been a total of 11 church fires so far this year, said Tom Crowley, special agent from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives' Dallas, Texas, office. One has not been ruled arson.

Included in that total is a January church arson in Temple, Texas. Authorities are not sure whether the Temple fire is related to the other nine, which have been concentrated in an area east of Dallas, more than 150 miles from Temple.

Houston Chronicle 2/11/10
East Texas sheriff talks safety amid church fires

HENDERSON, Texas — An eastern Texas sheriff wants to discuss safety issues with religious leaders in his area amid a rash of church fires that authorities believe were intentionally set.

Rusk County Sheriff Danny Pirtle planned a meeting for Thursday morning in Henderson, a day after the number of church arsons in Texas since Jan. 1 reached 10 with two more confirmed cases.

Nine of the fires were in counties just west of Rusk. The other was in central Texas.

Dallas Morning News 2/5/10
East Texas on edge over church fires

Church members watched in horror as Grace Community Church in Athens went up in flames a few weeks ago.

Firefighters battled a blaze Thursday that destroyed the sanctuary of Russell Memorial United Methodist Church in Wills Point. Officials said it was too early to say whether the fire was arson.

Their horror turned to dismay when some firefighters hurriedly left the late-night blaze before it was extinguished.

"Our people were like, 'What's going on here?' " said Brian Brandt, a pastor at the church. "It was because they got another call – another church was burning three to five miles away."

The other church was Lake Athens Baptist Church. The two were set ablaze within hours of each other. The fires are among at least six that may be connected.

Longview News Journal 1/20/10
Feds probing rash of church fires in East Texas

TYLER — Federal authorities are investigating a rash of church fires in East Texas, where seven such blazes have been reported since Jan. 1.

Police said the latest Tyler-area fire at Bethesda House of Prayer in Lindale was quickly contained Wednesday morning.
(snip)
Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives moved in last week after three church fires were reported during a 12 day period in nearby Athens.

The Athens blazes caused officials to re-examine a church fire in Canton.

Sonia