Fire at Sarahcuda's church was arson

Anchorage Daily News:

Accelerant poured around Palin's church

By S. J. KOMARNITSKY skomarnitsky@adn.com

(12/15/08 10:33:55)

WASILLA - Whoever torched Gov. Sarah Palin's home church tried to start fires in several places around the building, the federal agency assisting in the investigation said today.

Accelerants were found in multiple locations on the outside of Wasilla Bible Church, including around entrances and exits, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Nick Starcevic, an ATF spokesman in Seattle, said it was not yet clear what type of accelerant was used. Samples have been taken to the state crime lab in Anchorage for testing.

Investigators typically take scrapings from where they think the fire was lit, said Assistant State Fire Marshal Kelly Nicolello. In this case, that could include parts of the outside of the building and the soil underneath.

The Friday-night blaze caused an estimated $1 million in damage to the 2-1/2-year-old building and displaced one of the largest congregations in the Valley. Five church members were inside when the blaze started, but they were able to get out safely after the fire alarm sounded.

The church, just off the Parks Highway on the western edge of town, conducts Sunday services attracting up to 1,000 people. Church members include many well-known Valley residents, including Palin, Rep. Wes Keller, R-Wasilla, and Rep. Carl Gatto, R-Palmer.

Palin's ties to the church have sparked widespread speculation about whether the person who lit the fire was motivated by that connection. However, Central Mat-Su Fire Department Chief James Steele said that idea remains in the realm of pure speculation.

"At this point, there is no information that we have that even points in that direction," he said.

Gatto, a former Anchorage firefighter, said he stopped by the church Sunday and saw what looked like three small v-shaped burn patterns around the entrance on the backside of the church. He said he wasn't sure at the time if they were places a fire was started or something that firefighters had done in battling the blaze.

Despite the disruption caused by the blaze, Gatto said today that an outpouring of support from individuals and other churches has cheered members. The church's Sunday service was held at Wasilla Middle School and was, if anything, more lively than usual, he said.

"I didn't sense from a single person or hear from a single person that anybody felt we were somehow compromised now without our building,"he said. "You can replace times and buildings, but the message is the constant."

Accelerant poured around entrances and exits? Five people inside? That makes it attempted murder, and, quite possibly, a hate crime and/or terrorism.

But, the church's members seem to be handling it well enough. They are meeting in a local middle school.

Gov. Palin stopped by Saturday to see the fire-damaged church. Her spokesman issued a statement saying Palin told an assistant pastor she was sorry if the fire was connected to the "undeserved negative attention" the church received after she became the vice presidential candidate on Aug. 29.

Worshippers acknowledged the possible Palin connection with the fire, but more in a "gee, maybe" sort of way, said Rob Tracy, who shuttled people to the school for services. But people are speculating about other motives.

"It's just as likely to be some troubled person who has a beef with God," Tracy said.

"Or some local punks," Doak said.

Of course, they are from Alaska, and it should take more than a little fire to faze them...