Church fire still under investigation

By Bonnie Culverhouse

A fire that destroyed a Minden church building is still under investigation more than a week after the occurrence.

Minden Fire Chief Brian Williams said Monday he talked with the state fire marshal, and no conclusions have been reached.

“The cause is still pending, and they are still actively investigating,” Williams said. “We don’t have a time frame on how much longer the investigation is going to take.”

Sometime around 9:50 p.m. Friday, April 7, the Minden Fire Department responded to a call to Grace Tabernacle on the corner of Marshall and Constable streets.

“When our first unit arrived on the scene, it was to fire and heavy smoke,” Williams said. “Flames coming out of the roof. It was probably three-quarters involved at the time.”

Even though the church building was not in use, Williams said it is normal procedure for the fire marshal and ATF to respond to a fire in a house of worship.