Three Church Arsons in a Week Probed as Linked

Investigators in Clark County think that three church fires in less than a week may all be connected.

All thee fires are considered arson.

The most recent one was around 2 a.m. Sunday at the former home of the Bethesda Slavic Church at 11910 Northeast 154th.

The building, which is owned by Daybreak Youth Services, is currently empty.

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the flames but not before an estimated $25,000 in damage was done.

On Thursday morning, there was a fire at the Liberty Bible Church of the Nazarene in the Pleasant Valley area.

The day before there was a fire at the First Congregational United Church of Christ in Hazel Dell.

"I would urge all those responsible for church buildings to review your security procedures and to specifically make sure that any video surveillance equipment is in good working order," said Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins.

"I would also ask that our citizens who live near a house of worship be extra vigilant and report suspicious people or vehicles to 911."

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms is also involved in the investigation, which is standard procedure anytime a house of worship is the target of arson.

A $10,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to a conviction.

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