State Fire Marshal’s officials are investigating a third fire at a religious building in a week’s time and the second in St. Landry Parish.
Greater Union Baptist Church caught on fire early Tuesday morning.
It’s the second Baptist church to burn down in St. Landry Parish within a week.
Another church fire in the state happened Sunday in Caddo Parish. State Fire Marshal’s Office determined that fire to be intentional, but cannot say at this time whether the two St. Landry Parish church fires are related or were intentionally set on fire.
Louisiana State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said, “We’re certainly looking at all of that, but to determine the cause and to say what the possible cause is, we’re not at that point yet, but certainly we’re looking at all the different angles to look if there’s any relation whether it be an accidental fire or whether it be an incendiary fire.”
Throughout Tuesday, it was an active scene Greater Union Baptist Church with State Fire Marshal Deputies, St. Landry Parish District #3 firefighters as well as the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearm Agents.
The State Fire Marshal says per policy, a fire at any religious institution has a very special response.
“What we collect is evidence and information. We collect from day one has integrity when it’s time to overlay the facts so we’re not today saying these fires are related nor were saying they’re intentionally set,” added Browning.
A week ago today, the historic St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre not too far from Greater Union Baptist Church burned to the ground.
This past Sunday, Vivian United Pentecostal Church in Caddo Parish had a small fire overnight.
St. Landry Fire District #3 Fire Chief Matthew Rabalais said, “Being that it is a church, it is more of a special response so you are seeing a lot more resources deployed for this then you would a normal structure fire.”
Browning explained, “What’s entailed in reconstructing this scene… taking evidence that are samples that help us understand the cause of this fire is a very cumbersome task.”
Browning added that every fire scene is treated as a crime scene. More information will be released as to what the cause of this fire was.
