Suspects Wanted after Arson at Church
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HENDERSON COUNTY, Tenn.- Members of one local congregation are scared after their church was set on fire, Sunday. Deputies said they were dispatched to Oak Grove Methodist Church Sunday after a neighbor discovered one of the front windows had been broken into. While one church member was cleaning up the broken glass they smelled smoke and discovered fire damage inside a crawl space. “It’s a small church, it’s a small community and they don’t have a lot of money. So, it’s a pretty heinous act,” said neighbor Ross Blair. “It would be kind of unsettling to think it might actually be an adult, an arsonist or someone who likes to play with fire.” Henderson County Sheriff’s Deputies told WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News they believe someone tried to start a fire underneath the church floor, which is considered a hate crime. Officials said, through their investigation, evidence showed that the fire was set intentionally with a flammable liquid. “I think it was a deliberate attempt to burn the church to the ground,” said investigator Tracey Grisham of the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department. “When you are messing with people, that’s bad enough, but a church house?’ To me, you’re crossing the line.” Officials said the fire did not last long, but it did cause a lot of damage to the church’s foundation. Grisham said the fire burned so hot it charred the floor from underneath the surface. “I don’t know how the church didn’t burn, I really don’t because they found the crawl space open. If it was closed I could see it being put out because of lack of oxygen but the fire was started close to the crawlspace where it got plenty of oxygen,” said Grisham. “Divine intervention is the only explanation I have.” Members at Oak Grove Methodist said the church has been around for decades and it is the center of their community. They hope the damage came from juveniles rather than an adult arsonist. “I can’t imagine some grown person trying to do something like that,” said Bill Long. Investigators said the church was also vandalized. If you have any information in this case call the Henderson County Sheriff’s Department at (731) 968-7541.
