One of our State Fire Marshal (SFM) division investigators arrives on the scene of a church fire. Unlike several other church fires in Minnesota over the past few years, this one snuffed itself out before causing much damage.

But that doesn't mean the case is closed.

Our investigator sees signs that the fire was intentionally set. So he gets to work looking for clues and trying to determine who started this fire — and why.

“Fires are devastating, unsettling and scary. That's why our investigators dig through rubble, spend hours asking questions and put everything they have into getting answers," said Chief Fire Investigator Jim Iammatteo. “When a house of worship is intentionally targeted, if feels very personal because churches, mosques and synagogues are where many significant life events happen. These are places where people go to connect." 

This is Arson Awareness Week. The theme? Protecting Houses of Worship — Fire as a Weapon.

There are hundreds of arson fires in churches across the country each year. In Minnesota, there were at least 11 arson fires that caused more than $300,000 in damages in places of worship between 2018 and 2023​. We know that number is likely higher; there were 14 fires over the past five years in which the cause could not be determined or is still under investigation.

We are still looking for information about the Mountain Iron church fire and several others at houses of worship across the state. The smallest detail could be the key to solving a case.

“Any fire strikes a nerve and leaves people looking for answers to help heal," said State Fire Marshal Dan Krier​. “When that fire is intentional at a house of worship, it's an affront to the senses."

We know that a simple locked door could be the deterrent that saves a congregation from experiencing arson. There are other simple tips that can help. If you have a favorite house of worship, encourage leaders to:

• Illuminate building exterior and entrances. Place motion-activated lighting near entrances. Install lights to cover all sides of the building. Put interior lights on timers.
• Clear obstructions and excess vegetation. Trim or remove shrubbery that blocks the view of the building from the street. Remove excess vegetation and piles of leaves from around the outside of the building.
• Install smoke alarms and a fire sprinkler system. The most effective fire loss prevention and reduction measure for both life and property is the installation and maintenance of fire sprinklers.
• Keep doors locked. Equip external doors with code-compliant hardware and secure them when the facility isn't occupied. Limit and track which members of the congregation have keys and alarm codes.
• Keep windows locked. Use window hardware with spring-loaded bolts that insert through the window frame into the wall frame.
• Clean inside to remove unneeded paper, trash, cleaning supplies, paint cans and other materials that could fuel a fire for an arsonist.
• Work with local authorities to identify security weaknesses.

If you have information about any arson fire, contact the Minnesota Arson Hotline at 800-723-2020 or submit a tip online at mniaai.org​.​