Explosives Ruled Out as Church Fire Cause

Authorities on Saturday ruled out explosives as the cause of a fire that tore through the sanctuary of Fullerton’s St. Philip Benizi Catholic Church last week but said they are still unsure what sparked the devastating blaze.

For the second day in a row, investigators from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms removed debris from the gutted church building to more closely examine the floor of the structure. Sonny Wilson, a team supervisor for the bureau’s national response team, said the work would continue through today.

Nearby residents had reported hearing an explosion Thursday at the time of the fire, raising suspicions that the fire had been set deliberately. However, Wilson said, that noise was probably the sound of church windows bursting from the heat of the flames.

Investigators said it’s unclear whether the fire was deliberately set. But Wilson noted that the blaze appears to have been most intense around the church’s altar, prompting officials to examine some electrical outlets in the area to determine whether they might have sparked the fire.

ATF investigators have surrounded the church with hurricane fencing and police tape. With the odor of smoke still hanging heavily in the air Saturday, numerous passersby and parishioners stopped by to survey the damage.

“It’s so sad. I can’t believe this could happen to a church,” said Rosa Maria Lucil, a Fullerton resident and church member since 1973.

The fire is the second such blaze to hit the parish this year. In May, an arsonist set fire to the church school, causing $13,000 in damage. This most recent fire destroyed the church’s altar, most of its pews and a new piano.

Authorities have not declared the area a crime scene, although federal investigators have made church fire investigations a priority since a series of deliberately set church fires occurred across the Southeast three years ago.

Pastor Ignatius Kissel said the parish has scrambled to make arrangements for Mass and other events. On Saturday, Kissel conducted a baptism in a nearby chapel.

A sign posted near the church notified parishioners of new locations for today’s services as well. Masses at 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. will be held at the United Methodist Church in Fullerton, at Gilbert Street and Orangethorpe Avenue. Masses at 8:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m. and noon (Spanish language) will be at Anaheim’s Servite High School, 1952 W. La Palma Ave.

Among those who stopped by the church Saturday was Lidia Lopez, who attended the church for many years before moving to Riverside County.

Lopez, 63, said the church had often helped her and her disabled son with gifts of food. She said she had returned to give the church a $25 donation.

“They’ve helped us in the past, and we wanted to give something back, even though it’s small,” she said.