Video: Suspicious fire at Palin's church, $1M damage

A fire broke out at the Wasilla Bible Church yesterday while a group of women worked on crafts inside, all of whom escaped without injury. The church itself sustained an estimated one million dollars worth of damage, and investigators say that the fire looks like arson:

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Gov. Sarah Palin’s home church has been badly damaged in a suspicious fire.

Larry Kroon, the pastor of the Wasilla Bible Church, estimates damages at more than $1 million to the church. …

Palin spokesman Bill McAllister said the governor stopped by the church Saturday morning and apologized if the incident was related to her.

In a written statement McAllister said Palin, “told an assistant pastor that she apologizes if the incident is in any way connected to the undeserved negative attention the church has received since she became a vice presidential candidate on Aug. 29. Whatever the motives of the arsonist, the governor has faith in the scriptural passage that what was intended for evil will in some way be used for good.”

It’s too early to know whether the fire has anything to do with Sarah Palin’s candidacy. Unfortunately, churches and other places of worship get attacked by nutcases for a wide variety of irrational reasons, and one cannot predict what made these nuts set fire to this Wasilla church. In one sense, it seems odd that the attack would come now, after the election, when passions have cooled somewhat and the Governor has returned to work.

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Thankfully, the alarm and sprinkler systems did their job — an area of some expertise for me.  They’re designed to save lives, and the women in the crafts group were at serious risk of injury or death without them.  Too many older buildings skip or skimp on such systems, occasionally with tragic results.  This church was built three years ago, and we can see how these building requirements work to save lives.

Hopefully, the police in Wasilla will catch the perpetrator(s) and we will know what their motivation was very quickly.  Until then, regardless of your denomination, let’s keep the congregation of the Wasilla Bible Church in our prayers.  If they have any fundraisers, we’ll revisit the story to get Hot Air readers involved.

Update: Comments from Headlines imported.

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