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ST. GEORGE — As police await test results on evidence collected after a fire that destroyed a Latter-day Saint stake center Saturday, they now are looking for a car that was seen in the area during the time the blaze was reported.
St. George police officials said Tuesday in a Facebook post that they want to talk with the occupants of a silver SUV about what they may have seen on the night of the fire. The car was near the stake center around the time the fire was first reported, according to police.
Police said the occupants of the car are not being treated as suspects in the case, but investigators want to talk to them.
Investigators are not yet classifying the case as arson, police said Tuesday.
The test results have been submitted to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, but it could take up to two weeks for the results to be delivered, St. George police said in a press release.
Police reiterated that the cause of the fire is still being investigated.
“We cannot confirm this is an arson, but rather, we are conducting a criminal investigation to ensure all leads are covered,” the statement said.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stake center, across the street from the St. George Temple near 300 E. 500 South, began burning about 1 a.m. Saturday. The fire all but destroyed the brand new building, which was under construction and set to be finished within the next month.
St. George police are asking anyone who may have been in the area of the fire or who has any information about the blaze to contact them at 435-627-4338.
St. George Police Department officials are investigating the fire, along with the St. George Fire Department, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Utah State Fire Marshal.
Contributing: Alex Cabrero, KSL TV
