Palin Church Fire: Accelerant Poured Around Building

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — An accelerant was poured around the exterior of Gov. Sarah Palin's church before fire heavily damaged the building, federal investigators said Monday. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said the accelerant was poured at several locations around the church, including entrances.

Lab tests will determine the type of substance involved. Possibilities include gasoline, kerosene, diesel fuel or even lamp oil, Agent Nick Starcevic said.

The blaze was set Friday night at the main entrance of the Wasilla Bible Church while a small group, including two children, were inside. No one was injured. Fire authorities were called to the scene at 9:40 p.m., unusually early for many arson fires, Starcevic said.

"It's kind of odd to do in the evening hours," he said. "I can tell you that most of the arson fires I've worked on are late nighttime, usually when no one is there."

Palin, the former Republican vice presidential candidate, was not at the church at the time of the fire but visited Saturday. Her spokesman, Bill McAllister, said Monday that Palin knew about the accelerants Saturday morning before a statement she authorized was released that day.

During her visit at the church, Palin told an assistant pastor she was sorry if the fire was connected to the "undeserved negative attention" the church has received since she became the vice presidential candidate Aug. 29, McAllister said.

Wasilla Deputy Police Chief Greg Wood said authorities had no immediate suspects or motive.

Comments

[rsaillant1]

Investigators will make the connection between the arsonist and
someone who was in the building at the time of the fire. This was
a message to someone, at the least, and attempted murder should
be the charge.

[SimplyBkuz]

Personally, I loathe Sarah Palin. The sound of her voice makes my ears bleed. That being said, If someone did this out of hatred for her, shame on them. We should be able to disagree and even feel hatred towards people without destroying the property and lives of anyone. Shame. Shame. Shame.

[Dwight Dunkley - Huffpost Blogger]

I think all the mean commentators here should consider the headline "Obama Church Fire: Accelerant Poured Around Building." We should be careful not to trivialize hate and violence regardless of who it is directed against.

[weatherwaxx]

HuffPost's Pick

They were going to burn someone as a witch and things got out of hand...?

[mechadave]

HuffPost's Pick

Palin is probably correct. The arsonist may be a Reich Wing wacko seeking to gain sympathy for Palin.
The apology is strange though. It is almost as if Sweet Sarah knew about it in advance.

[indy girl]

You know, if Track wasn't already over in the military he would probably be on the short list of vandalism suspects!

[LiarLiarIraqsOnFire]

You took the words out of my keyboard!

[liberalrebuttal]

I thought she had a 100 % Approval Rating in Alaska ? Who could have done this in her own home state? I thought they said everyone loved her there. I'm confused. I doubt anyone went to Alaska just for that so it's not an outsider.

[johnnyjust]

Who would have done it? A liberal.

[TheWanderer]

It was Joe the Arsonist.

[bob5381]

I would never condone violence or arson. It is a sad irony that her VP candidacy acted as an accellerant when poured onto the extreme religious, neo-fascist and racist wings of the GOP.

[DS3M]

I don't like palin, her politics, her faith healing african connections... I do like her secessionist affiliations...
But I think it is beyond reproach to destroy someone's place of worship.

Unless it's a voodoo altar, and your legs and arms feel like a brick is weighing them down.

[Kenji]

Beyond reproach? I suspect you mean the opposite.

[j.gold]

Voodoo worshiper have rights too.

[Drumbum2112]

Small town "real" american values at work?

[tedmore123]

Must have been a Russian sneak attack.

[Kay72403]

Exorcism, Wasila style, to cleanse the town of its demons.

[wellinformed08]

Must have been Putin "rearing his head in the air space of Alaska also to with". Now they have to "rain in spending" and "job creation" to repair the damage--- also.

[Hillrick]

Someone sure thinks mighty highly of themselves, don't they now.

[sherbug]

Its very suspicious that she immediately thinks the torching had something to do with her, so much so that she offers an apology for the negative attention her church got during the campaign. The fact of the matter is her church did not get that much attention during the campaign. The MSM never picked up on it. The only church that got the media's full attention was Trinity United Church, home of Rev. Wright.

[BeauRadley]

What bothers me is the journalists, and I use that term lightly, who immediately jumped to the conclusion it had something to do with the anti-gay program of this 'church". This is irresponsible journalism done only for shock value and in essence it sets a new fire in the minds of the bigots of this world. I deplore the arson as much as I deplore the bigots in that "church".