*Federal investigators suspect lightning may have caused the fire at Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greeleyville, South Carolina, senior FBI officials said during a press conference Wednesday morning.
The blaze drew attention because at least five other black church fires have occurred since the racist killings of nine African Americans at Emanuel AME church in Charleston, S.C., about 65 miles south of Greeleyville.
The Mount Zion fire, which broke out around 9 p.m. Tuesday night, comes about a week after the church was featured in a Los Angeles Times story about the long history of violence against black churches, and 20 years after it was burned to the ground by two former members of the KKK. Fire officials say the church is a total loss.
A federal law enforcement source told the Associated Press that preliminary indications are the fire does not appear to be the work of an arsonist. The officials said investigators found no accelerants at the fire scene — an indicator of arson.
The FBI has been working with the National Weather Service to determine whether the heavy storms in the area contributed to the fire. A forensics report of lightning strikes by CNN meteorologists shows four strikes occurred in the immediate vicinity of the church, all at 7:18 p.m. ET Tuesday night.
About 50 firefighters, local police, the FBI, and five agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are investigating. The sheriff’s office and state police are also pitching in.
“Anytime there is a house of worship involved in a fire, ATF is automatically assigned to look into the cause,” said agency Special Agent Tom Mangan.
The other black churches that have burned since June 17’s Emanuel AME shootings are:
* June 26: Greater Miracle Apostolic in Tallahassee, Florida. The fire was likely caused by a tree limb falling on power lines.
* June 26: Glover Grovery Baptist in Warrenville, South Carolina. The cause has not been determined, but investigators observed no element of criminal intent.
* June 24: Briar Creek Road Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, which houses both black and Nepalese congregations. Fire investigators ruled that fire arson, and though they have not seen evidence that hate was a motivation for the crime, they are not ruling it out.
* June 21: College Hill Seventh-day Adventist in Knoxville, Tennessee. Investigators ruled it arson, but they say nothing so far has indicated a hate crime. ATF and other agencies said that it looked like vandalism.
* June 21: God’s Power Church of Christ in Macon, Georgia. Investigators believe the blaze might be arson. ATF is investigating but no ruling has been made. The church had recently been broken into and air conditioners and sound systems stolen.
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