The investigation continues into the blaze that caused extensive damage to St. Andrew’s Anglican Church in Lac La Biche in the early morning hours of Canada Day.
John Kokotilo, the regional fire chief for Lac La Biche County, said although a preliminary investigation which took place over the long weekend has deemed the fire to be suspicious, the exact cause has yet to be determined.
“We looked at the timing of where and when the fire occurred,” Kokotilo stated. “When crews arrived on the scene, the fire was burning in three different places around the interior of the church.”
Earlier this week, a fire investigator was called in to help local officials with the ongoing investigation.
While fire investigators have deemed the blaze to be suspicious, that does not always mean criminal in nature, says Kokotilo.
“There were no signs indicating that the building had been broken into, as all windows and doors were closed,” he said.
On the morning of the fire, the area was experiencing a thunderstorm with a lot of lightning.
Lac La Biche RCMP Staff Sergeant Trevor Cardinal says no new updates on the investigation have been released. He says once more details are determined, information will be updated.