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

[stlrfan]

Church arson in real America...Ouch !

[naturallight]

Maybe an Eskimo was making room for an Igloo?

[dm10003]

inuit.

[Frank Dwyer - Huffpost Blogger]

Maybe somebody was afraid there was a witch inside.

[CheshireCat2]

So you think church burning is funny too?

Did you think it was funny in the south?

[rustyaustin]

It's funny because of who it is, if you can't see the hypocrisy and the irony in this you have no sense of humor. Small town values, you betcha. Godless athiests in the cities burn down churches, not god fearin' rural moose huntin' snowmobile racin' absitenence practicin' what they preach Christians from the real America, good golly gee whillikers.

[LiberalIncarnate]

As long as no one was hurt, I have no problem seeing dogmatic religions bite the dust. They have caused enough violence, physical and social for thousands of years.

[JimboSlice]

Lets face it, we have a lot of nutcases living in AK. Also these people are not really terrorist, because:

"Now, others who would want to engage in harming innocent Americans or facilities that it would be unacceptable to... I don't know if you're gonna use the word 'terrorist' there,"

[canarypapers]

These crimes don't happen in the "the best of America... those wonderful little pockets of real America.... pro-America....where we find the kindness and the goodness and the courage of everyday Americans" that Sarah Palin conjured in her stump speeches.

Perhaps this is because this imaginary place does not exist. The lesson here is that hate begets hate, no matter where you live. Which is why we need leaders who advocate tolerance and good will, instead of the fiery division and hatred preached by politicians like Sarah Palin. Whether the arson was related to Sarah Palin or not, it was a senseless act of hate, no different than those inspired by Sarah's speeches.

Having said that, I am as saddened by the crime against the Wasilla Bible Church as I was by each and every act of hatred generated in small town across America, in the wake of Sarah Palin's speeches this fall --- and I am as saddened as I would be, had this crime happened to a church in a larger, so-called elitist town, like Washington, D.C.

[littlebrowngirl]

I never cared for palin or her politics. I thought she brought a nasty tone to the campaign that was dangerous and hateful.

Hate is a double edged sword that she brought out in people.. I don't like that fact that someone would take their dislike of her so far as to commit a crime. I do not wish bad on anyone I just wished that the tone of the campaign had never started this hatred between some crazy people who can go too far.

I hope we can learn to be more tolerant and not polarize our country.

[disgusted48]

exactly.

[hipichick7]

Great post!

[brooklyncitizen]

There was a church set on fire after Obama was elected....and they had just spent millions reonvating. ALl around this kind of destruction is inexcusable.

[roblabrousse]

You know...if there's true spirituality in any community religious or otherwise it should be strong enough to withstand the physical destruction of a building. A lot of Christ's sermons took place in open air places. It's tragic our attachment to possessions. I think Christ taught about that too.

[wndrwrthg]

christianity now relies on grandiose materialistic displays to exhibit their piety. Those who seek their religion in humble abodes, who work to follow their gods tenets are looked down on by the modern day pharisees who seek glory and riches for themselves.

[kevenseven]

Folks:

This had to do with politics exactly to the point that the firebug that did this knew that it would get national media coverage because it was Palin's church.

This had bubkis to do with sending any "political" message.

[Topfeeder]

Sure and the fire bombing of abortion clinics isn't politically motivated either.

[roblabrousse]

Have you spoken with the arsonist?? What does it matter? Whatever the motive is it happened. Whatever the effects ..there aren't any ramifications. No one was killed. The repairs will be made. And they will eventually make an arrest if they're lucky. We won't be any bet for it when an arrest is made or a motive discovered. This wasn't the work of a very sound mind.

[motoGpifupleez]

I hope that fire department was a private company and not a taxpayer funded unit, seeing as to how the Rethugs are so "Private enterprise can do it better" oriented.

[CheshireCat2]

This act is inexcusable.

[hf2008]

So is hunting from a helicoptor.

[CheshireCat2]

There was innocent children inside.

[fairywhatnot]

IT IS NOT *HER* FRIGGIN' CHURCH!!! It is the church 'she goes to', or 'frequents'.

[weepingforbrunnhilde]

Wow.

How terrible.

[josephsixpack]

Setting fire to a church will only set fire to fundamentalist outrage. It's a shame. I'm really, really ready for Palin to fall into obscurity. This won't help that.

[Conejo]

I'm not a fan of Sarah Palin but I cannot condone anybody setting fire to her or any other church. It is a despicable act and the perps should be prosecuted if they can be found and I hope they are.

[neesy08]

I do not care ow muc people may dislike Palin, if this is politically related, it sould not have happened. I am against any sort of sabatoge against a place of worship

[greatbear451]

It should not have happened no matter who attends that church.

[bluguy8]

not a good thing --but how can anyone say this has nothing to do with Palin . A lot of people didn't like her and lets face it we have a lot of not cases in this country..all the divisive hate she was spewing came home to roost

[MsAttitude]

I hope American's are smart enough for this to not be politically motivated. HATE is the worst 4-letter word!

[JimboSlice]

American's are smart enough. The real question is: are Alaskans smart enough?

[roblabrousse]

Just out of curiosity do you "LOVE" all your fellow humans? No matter what? Equally? No infringements of rights or freedoms?