An investigation into the fire at Petersburg’s Catholic Church last week concluded that the blaze was caused by maintenance work happening outside the building.
A statement released yesterday by Petersburg’s Fire Marshall, Ryan Welde, said the fire started on Dolphin Street and was accidental in nature.
From there, the fire moved up the wall through the foam insulation inside the vinyl siding. It continued into the building’s attic space and then spread over the roof
The Fire Marshall’s statement added that an investigator representing the church’s insurance company reached the same conclusions.
St. Catherine’s congregation will celebrate mass at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church this weekend.
Father Thomas Jose was living at the Catholic Church when it burned down last week. He’ll move to a residence at Petersburg’s Presbyterian Church, and says services for the congregation of St. Catherine of Siena will likely move to that location in the weeks to come.
