Safety slows investigation
Safety slows investigation
Fear of wall collapse keeps authorities out of burned out downtown church.
Fear of wall collapse keeps authorities out of burned out downtown church.
By JEFF ABELL
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Attempts to determine the cause of a blaze that gutted a historic Burlington church over the weekend were hampered Tuesday due to safety concerns at the fire scene.
During an afternoon press conference, special agent Rob Elder said fire investigators had planned to enter the charred remains of the 118-year-old First United Methodist Church Tuesday morning.
However, due to the structural instability of the western exterior wall, police and fire officials were unable to investigate the fire scene.
Authorities have not ruled out arson as the cause of the fire, but say it’s too early to tell what sparked the blaze.
“Until we get in there, the origin of the fire remains undetermined,” said Elder of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. “We are not going to rush through this. It may take some time to investigate.”
Burlington police Lt. Darren Grimshaw said investigators are looking into reports of vandalism over the weekend, including a broken window at the Arts for Living Center, to see if the incidents are connected with the fire.
In addition, a break-in and apparent attempt to start a fire at the nearby First Presbyterian Church at about the same time as the Sunday morning blaze remains under investigation.
“We are investigating the incident at the Presbyterian church as a burglary. Both incidents are being investigated separately at this time,” Grimshaw said. “Unless there is a factual basis that appears to show these incidents are related, we will continue to deal with them as separate cases.”
The Presbyterian church was reopened Tuesday after being closed much of Monday as Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation agents looked for a link to the Methodist church fire.
Grimshaw said burnt debris was located at the rear of the church sanctuary. Grimshaw declined to comment whether the small fire was part of an arson attempt.
The Rev. Bill Salzmann, interim pastor at the church, said the debris consisted of a few church newsletters and a cardboard box. No fire damage was reported at the church.
Police learned of the break-in at 3:30 a.m. after a motion alarm went off and Salzmann called 911. Officers arrived at the scene at 3:50 a.m. and found the rear entrance from the alley unsecured.
According to Salzmann, two windows were shattered during the burglary and food items were taken from a cooler including ice cream, butter and spices.
On Tuesday, church members and the curious gathered at a distance to pay their respects to the once ornate church. Near City Hall, a group of parishioners shared stories passed on by friends about the cause of the fire.
Grimshaw said police have heard a lot of chatter concerning the fire, most he discounts.
“We hear a lot of things. Some are right and many others are way off,” he said.
The Burlington Area Crimestoppers Board met Tuesday evening to discuss setting up a “substantial” reward for tipsters if the fire is determine to have been intentionally set.
“If this is a crime, we are talking about setting a high dollar amount,” board member Mike Hoffman said.
At 2:41 a.m. Sunday, Burlington firefighters were dispatched to the Methodist church after receiving a call that smoke and heat detectors had been activated in the building.
At the scene, firefighters encountered heavy smoke and flames on the first floor and in the basement of the building, according to fire officials.
It took about five hours to contain the blaze that swept through the church at 421 Washington St. in downtown Burlington.
The church was built in 1889 out of purplish Jasper granite. The sanctuary was extensively remodeled in 2000.
Now, the granite walls tower like a charred husk.
Investigators will return to the fire scene this morning. At that time, a portion of the western wall may be demolished in order to allow fire officials to enter the church.
“We know this is not what the church board wants, but they understand we may need to go this route,” Elder said.
Tags: burglary, cate, Food