Officials have not ruled out arson as a potential cause of the intense fire that devastated a historic Brooklyn church last month. They continue to seek a suspect connected to the incident.
The exact cause of the fire, which occurred on June 19, has yet to be established, according to the FDNY. The South Bushwick Reformed Church, a wooden structure that’s been around for 173 years, was completely engulfed by flames.
Investigators, however, are considering the possibility that the fire could have been deliberately set. They are actively looking for a person who was spotted on surveillance video fleeing the church moments before it caught fire.
Officials have stated they are methodically sifting through the church’s remains for signs of foul play, though extensive destruction and debris are complicating their investigation.
The three-alarm fire produced significant smoke and raged through the chapel, necessitating the efforts of nearly 200 firefighters and paramedics. It took about two and a half hours to bring the blaze under control.
The fire caused severe damage to much of the wooden church, originally built in 1853, as noted by the National Sacred Sites Fund. The parish, whose historic steeple fell during the fire, is currently facing an eviction order from the city’s Buildings Department.
Parishioners, whose congregation traces back to 17th-century Dutch settlers, are attempting to gather funds via GoFundMe to help restore their place of worship.
