Two historic churches burned in Douglas

Published: May. 22, 2023 at 8:48 PM MST|Updated: May. 22, 2023 at 10:31 PM MST
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TUCSON, Ariz. (13 News) - The Douglas Fire Department is working on putting out two fires that happened at neighboring churches on Monday, May 22.

The fires occurred at both the First Presbyterian Church and St. Stephens Church within minutes apart.

This happened in the historic district of Douglas, where four different churches sit at one intersection.

“As the day went on we were told the fire did not start from the episcopal church. But rather, it was an independent fire. Somehow how fire started inside our church and theirs started in theirs,” Peggy Christiansen, Reverend of the First Presbyterian Church, said.

Crews will continue to work through most of the night to watch out for additional hotspots and D Avenue Street remains closed.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives was on the scene. According to investigators, this is a common practice for these types of investigations.

No one was injured.

There are no details on the cause of the fires.

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