10th Alabama church burns

Saturday, February 11, 2006; Posted: 10:11 p.m. EST (03:11 GMT)

CNN) -- Another Baptist church in Alabama was heavily damaged by fire Saturday night, becoming the 10th house of worship burned in recent weeks, police said.

Firefighters from several cities helped fight the blaze Saturday evening in Beaverton, a town of 200 people about 90 miles northwest of Birmingham

A Lamar County Sheriff's Department dispatcher said police are still trying to determine what caused the fire at the Beaverton Freewill Baptist Church in northwest Alabama.

The fire collapsed the back wall of the building, said Terri Johnson, who lives in nearby Sulligent and was at the scene soon after the fire began about 4:30 p.m.

"When we got there, it obviously was in the beginning stages of the fire," Johnson said. "It was coming from the middle of the church. Then the fire began to rage. Then it engulfed the whole church."

Johnson said she and her sister were passing through Beaverton when a sheriff's car sped by, sirens blaring. They followed the car out of curiosity, Johnson said.

"It was burned to the point where it was barely standing," she said.

A video of the church showed one wall with melted vinyl siding.

Investigators have been trying to determine the causes and whether the rural church fires are linked. (Watch as church burnings are made a priority -- 2:04)

Investigators have said arson was the cause of seven fires. Arson also is suspected in the other two.

Eric Kehn, a spokesman for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said ATF agents were at the scene of the Beaverton fire, but they had not yet determined how it started or whether it was related to the other church fires.

Five churches with predominantly African-American congregations and four with predominantly white ones have been set ablaze in the past week in central and western Alabama. Nobody has been injured. (Map)

More than 100 ATF personnel, including special agents and forensic experts, are investigating the fires. A criminal and geographical profiler also has been called in.

The ATF has said witnesses have reported seeing a dark-colored SUV near some of the fires. But it is not clear if the vehicle is linked to the blazes.

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