Fire that damaged office of St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish deemed ‘suspicious’
An early morning fire that caused significant damage to an office for St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Parish on Sunday is being investigated as suspicious, according to Tacoma Fire Department.
No one was injured in the fire, which was reported just before 5 a.m. in the 7100 block of South 12th Street. The blaze did not damage the church sanctuary or school. According to the parish’s Facebook page, three Mass services were canceled Sunday as a result of the fire. The 5 p.m. Mass went on as scheduled.
Assistant fire chief Kris Johnson said investigators couldn’t disclose what led them to believe the fire was suspicious. The cause of the fire is still being investigated.
Firefighters initially attacked the fire from inside the office, but as it grew, crews evacuated the building and worked to extinguish the fire from outside. The fire was reported to be under control by about 8:20 a.m., according to a tweet from the department.
The incident is the second time in a month that a place of worship in the area has been damaged by a suspicious fire. A fire at the Islamic Center of Tacoma on Oct. 11 damaged the mosque so severely that it can no longer be used and leaders are raising money for repairs.
That fire is being investigated as arson, and deputies are seeking a person of interest in relation to it.
This story was originally published October 25, 2021 at 2:21 PM.
