The Brown County Sheriff Bobby Grubbs said today that while his office is actively investigating the case of fire at Bethel Baptist Church near Zephyr, he is asking the public to come forward with any information they may have in the case.
Sheriff Grubbs issued the following statement today regarding their investigation into the fire:
In the early morning hours of July 15, 2011, beginning at about 2:00 am, numerous fire departments responded to several apparently sequential grass fires in the northern, eastern and south eastern portions of Brown County. Most of the fires originated in the bar ditches off different roadways. The last fire reported was located at the Bethel Baptist Church located at 1800 CR 286N, a rural location near Zephyr, Texas. When the Zephyr fire department responded both structures of the church were fully engulfed with fire and the roofs were collapsed. While the actual cause of the fire has yet to be determined, Sheriff’s Deputies are pursuing this as a possible arson because of a number of obvious possible-related circumstances, including that in October 2010 a previous attempt had been made to burn the church.
Sheriff Bobby Grubbs immediately requested the assistance of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who has assisted in the scene investigation. Additionally, an ATF certified Accelerant Detection K-9 and also a certified fire/ arson investigator from the Denton Fire Department was requested and worked in tandem with the Sheriff’s Office and ATF (Lubbock office).
A number of evidentiary samples were secured for laboratory analysis. At this time, the cause of the fire is classified as undetermined pending the forensic analysis and the ongoing investigation by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office. According to Sheriff Grubbs, Sheriff’s Criminal Investigators will continue the investigation while evidentiary analysis is pending. Anyone having any information is strongly urged to contact CID Deputy Vance Hill at the Brown County Sheriff’s Office at 325-646-5510 or the Brown County Crime Stoppers at 325-646-TIPS (325-646-8477). Inquiries or information should be directed to CID Deputy Vance Hill, who is the lead investigator, and /or CID Sergeant Lana Guthrie, supervisor of the Criminal Investigations Division.
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Multiple Suspicious Early Morning Fires, Rural Church Destroyed