Flames Burn An Oktibbeha County Church To The Ground

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Hours after a church fire in Oktibbeha County, smoke and suspicion are still in the air.

Firefighters were called to the Union Hill Baptist Church on New Light Road, a little before midnight Tuesday night.

When they got there, the building was already beyond saving.

Right now, it’s not known what caused the fire, but we do know the building is a total loss.

Firefighters say the blaze was put out within minutes, but its impacts and investigation will linger on a little longer.

“It was just a big shock to me, you know what I’m saying? To come out here, this early this morning, and see this,” says church member, William Hogan.

Shock, smoke, and even suspicion still smolder hours after flames reduced Union Hill Baptist Church to ashes.

It leaves Bonnie Stinson, who’s been a church member for over 50 years, speechless.

The foundation is now all that’s left of what once used to be the small, one story church that built William Hogan.

“We came to this church from when my grandma, you know, was here. So, all my life.”

The church has been a rock for its 26 members.

“You’re always interested in a fire in a church and in this case, there were no utilities to the building,” says Fire Services Coordinator, Kirk Rosenhan.

“We were renovating it. We were renovating the whole building.”

Members and investigators all want to know why this place of worship is now a place of rubble.

“We certainly want to find out what happened here, especially, you know some years ago, we had a whole rash of church fires, and I don’t anticipate that being a problem here.”

Until the problem of what happened here is solved, curiosity continues.

“I would even go so far as to say suspicious, because of the time of the day, the lack of utilities, and the fact that I don’t think the church was in operation.”

The Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Department and State Fire Marshal’s Office are over the investigation.