Person of interest sought in Highland Park church fire
The Chattanooga Fire Department is searching for a person of interest in a fire believed to be intentionally set at the former Highland Park Baptist Church last week, according to a news release.
The subject of the search is a man on a bicycle who was seen on surveillance video in the area at the time of the fire. A $5,000 reward is being offered for any tips that lead to an arrest.
The fire was reported at 7:13 p.m. on June 10. It required a 24-hour response and caused extensive damage to the old church, now the Phillips Chapel, and the neighboring Chauncey-Good Auditorium, which are both a part of the Redemption to the Nations Church campus. Parts of the buildings were torn down.
“We have heard from many people who have shared their memories from events held at these well-known Chattanooga structures through the years,” the release said. “Thousands have attended church services, meetings, weddings and graduations there. The CFD is dedicated to bringing this case to a close and finding who was responsible for setting the fire.”
Twenty-one of the department’s 26 companies with more than 100 personnel responded to the three-alarm fire, in addition to multiple other local agencies. Firefighters first tried to attack the fire that appeared to be on both the first and third floors internally, but the building was evacuated because it was structurally unsound. No injuries were reported.
Surrounding roads were closed and nearby residents were asked to shelter in place that night due to heavy smoke.
“It was a very taxing operation for everyone involved,” the release said. “Our Tri-State Mutual Aid Association partners from across the region filled in at our fire halls and answered calls while the CFD worked this major incident.”
The fire department asked that anyone with information call the Tennessee Arson Hotline at 1-800-7623017.