VietPress USA (April 6, 2019): Three predominantly black Baptist churches in Louisiana were fired and totally destroyed in the last 10 days.
The state's top fire investigator said Thursday that they’ve discovered several “patterns” at the three crime scenes.
The third St. Landry Parish church fire in 10 days erupted early Thursday at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church south of Opelousas.
Mount Pleasant is about 10 miles south of Greater Union Baptist Church, which burned down early Tuesday. St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre was destroyed in a fire early in the morning on March 26.
St. Landry Fire District 3 received a 911 call about the Thursday fire at about 3:40 a.m., said Ashley Rodrigue, a spokeswoman for the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The fire consumed the inside of the rural church, burning holes through the roof, but leaving much of the brick exterior standing. At daybreak, smoke continued rising from the historic structure.
Who burnt these three black Christian Churches? Read the news from USA Today News on Yahoo News at: https://news.yahoo.com/suspicious-fires-destroy-three-black-031601165.html
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‘Suspicious’ fires destroy three black churches in 10 days in Louisiana parish
LAFAYETTE, La. – Fires that destroyed three predominantly black Baptist churches in St. Landry Parish in the last 10 days are "suspicious," the state's top fire investigator said Thursday, adding that they’ve discovered several “patterns” at the three crime scenes.
But it’s too soon to classify the fires as arson, State Fire Marshal Butch Browning said at a press conference, walking a tight line without actually linking the three blazes.
“There certainly is a commonality,” he said. “Whether that leads to a person or persons or groups, we just don’t know. And that’s not unusual for us not to know at this point.”
The fact that it is three black Baptist churches in the same parish is obviously a pattern. “And there are several other patterns,” Browning added.
The third St. Landry Parish church fire in 10 days erupted early Thursday at Mount Pleasant Baptist Church south of Opelousas.
Mount Pleasant is about 10 miles south of Greater Union Baptist Church, which burned down early Tuesday. St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre was destroyed in a fire early in the morning on March 26.
St. Landry Fire District 3 received a 911 call about the Thursday fire at about 3:40 a.m., said Ashley Rodrigue, a spokeswoman for the State Fire Marshal’s Office.
The fire consumed the inside of the rural church, burning holes through the roof, but leaving much of the brick exterior standing. At daybreak, smoke continued rising from the historic structure.
State troopers had a section of the highway in front of Mount Pleasant blocked off early Thursday.
The Rev. Gerald Toussaint, who leads Mount Pleasant, said he was heartbroken when he saw what remained of his church, which he said is more than 140 years old.
“My church has a lot of history,” he said. “I don’t understand it. What could make a person do that to a church?”
Toussaint, who works full time as a truck driver, said he was on his way to work in Lafayette when he received news of the fire from his wife. He immediately turned around and headed to the church.
“By the time I got back here, it was gone,” he said. “It burned hot and fast.”
St. Landry Sheriff Bobby Guidroz said he is working with Opelousas police to provide extra security and patrols to the parish’s churches. He said he’s willing to do “whatever it takes to prevent these fires” and to “try to catch this individual.”
“We have a lot of churches in this parish. Lots of churches,” Guidroz said. “We’re going to take it one day at a time and try to provide the security that they need.”
In addition to the State Fire Marshal, the St. Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office and the St. Landry Fire District 3, the Opelousas Police Department, the Louisiana Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms and the FBI also are investigating the fires.
“Our churches are sacred, central parts of our communities and everyone should feel safe in their place of worship,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a written statement.
In general, church fires are not uncommon in the United States, according to National Fire Prevention Association data. There were about 1,660 fires in religious and funeral properties in 2011, with the vast majority of those occurring on religious properties.
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