Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
VANCOUVER, Wash. — Police say a fire that damaged a meetinghouse of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Washington was intentionally set.
Several men were playing basketball in the gym of the Vancouver church building Friday morning when they smelled smoke, according to KGW News. They began searching the building for the source, and opened the doors to the chapel to find the pulpit and several hymnals in flames.
The men also found the words, “Ha, Ha” written in what appeared to be shaving cream nearby.
“I’ve been playing ball here for almost 30 years, three mornings a week,” Ivan Jensen, one of the men who discovered the fire, told KGW. “They probably didn’t know we came in and played.”
Our first look inside the church in Vancouver where someone set the pulpit on fire @KGWNewspic.twitter.com/Bel7jiZsI3
— Rachael Rafanelli (@RachaelKGW) April 8, 2016
Jensen and his friends grabbed fire extinguishers to douse the blaze, gathered the scorched hymn books and threw them in a garbage can before calling the fire department. Authorities have yet to find the person or people responsible, but said they entered the building by breaking a window.
“This is a house of God,” said Ron Kramer, one of the basketball players. “This is a sacred place for us. It’s just sad.”
Church members are calling the crime “senseless” and told KGW they hope the person responsible comes forward.
“I want to say: I hope you get some help,” Jensen said. “We’d be willing to help you if you want us to.”
