Historic 192-year-old Christian church in Maine destroyed by arson attack

Maine state investigators have officially ruled a recent fire at the historic Dennysville-Edmunds Congregational Church an act of arson.

The emergency call came in right before 8 am on Monday, drawing a rapid, coordinated response from the Dennysville Volunteer Fire Department and several surrounding agencies.

Upon arriving at the property at 17 King St., first responders found smoke and a fast-moving blaze concentrated near the church's furnace room at the rear of the structure. Pictures of the church show extensive damage to the back of the building, but the structure remained standing, and firefighters said the blaze was quickly brought under control, WMTW reported.

"It was a blessing. The fire was contained in time, which prevented extensive damage to the inner structure. The first responders were remarkable!!" a member of the church's leadership said.

Fire marshals said the fire occurred while no one was inside the church and that it originated outside the building, prompting an arson investigation, the Maine Wire reported. Marshals have not publicly identified a suspect.

The incident comes as several houses of worship across the country have faced damages from potential or confirmed arsons. In April, two men were charged federally with arson after authorities said they destroyed the only Catholic church at the Caldwell Parish in Louisiana directly before Holy Week. In January, federal authorities also investigated a suspicious fire at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church in Havana, Florida, as an alleged arson case. Officials have said the motives behind church fires vary widely, with investigations often focused on determining whether they were criminal acts, hate crimes, or unrelated incidents.