Blaze at Baptist church in Burlington deemed suspicious
BURLINGTON — The Office of the Ontario Fire Marshal and Halton police are investigating a suspicious fire that heavily damaged a more than 120-year-old church in northeast Burlington.
Firefighters were called to the Trinity Baptist Church at 4372 Appleby Line, just north of No. 2 Sideroad, around 1:18 a.m. Wednesday.
The first crews there saw flames in the southwest corner of the building that eventually climbed the wall and into the attic, destroying the roof, said Deputy Fire Chief Ross Monteith.
No one was injured, but the original church building, built in 1890, was heavily damaged by the fire. Monteith said it was difficult for firefighters to navigate the tall, old building and at a certain point they had to refocus efforts on saving the newer additions to the church, which escaped unscathed.
It’s too early to know what caused the blaze or the dollar loss. However, Monteith said damage is likely in excess of $500,000.
Halton police spokesperson Sgt. Dana Nicholas confirmed the fire is considered suspicious. The word “ISIS” is visible in spray-paint on the building. Nicholas said police are aware of the graffiti, but added it’s too early in the investigation to know if it’s related to the fire.
At the height of the fire, there were 40 firefighters on scene from 12 trucks. The rural area does not have hydrant access, so fire crews from Milton and Hamilton shuttled water to the scene.
Crews remained on scene putting out hot spots until about 10 a.m., Monteith said.
According to the church’s website, the Trinity Baptist congregation moved to the Appleby Line church in 1975.