Fire devastates Fir Lawn church

Arson suspected in early Saturday morning incident

March 1, 2023

Scott Swanson

Battalion Chief Randy Whitfield, left, and SHFAD Fire Chief Nick Tyler look over the remains of the foyer at Fir Lawn Lutheran Church Saturday afternoon after a fire, suspected to have been set by an arsonist, destroyed part of the church building and severely damaged the sanctuary.

Police and fire officials are looking into whether a fire that destroyed much of the Fir Lawn Lutheran Church building early Saturday morning, Feb. 25, was the result of arson.

The blaze was reported shortly before 1:30 a.m. According to the Sweet Home Police Department, responding officers arrived to find the building fully engulfed in flames.

Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District Chief Nick Tyler said he believed a neighbor reported the blaze after hearing glass breaking in the middle of the night and saw flames coming from the building.

Firefighters who arrived on the scene found the...

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