(5 Apr 2019) Authorities in southern Louisiana are investigating a string of "suspicious" fires at three African American churches in recent days.
Louisiana State Fire Marshal Butch Browning was at the scene of the third fire, Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church, on Friday.
Browning said the fires in St. Landry Parish are almost certainly related but how they are related is still under investigation.
The ATF and the FBI also are involved in the investigation. Browning said that more than 40 people from the marshal's office are working on the investigation, which he described as being in its "secondary" phase.
The first fire occurred March 26th at the St. Mary Baptist Church in Port Barre, and the second happened Tuesday when the Greater Union Baptist Church in Opelousas caught fire.
Then Thursday morning the Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Opelousas caught fire.
Earnest Hines, a deacon at Mount Pleasant, was at the scene Friday as fire marshal deputies arrived.
The churches were vacant at the time of the fires, and no one was injured.

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