UPDATE: Two fires in central Columbia now considered arson

Police confirmed a church fire in central Columbia last October is considered arson. On Thursday investigators confirmed both the Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel fire on November 16 and the Parkade Baptist Church fire on October 31 were intentionally set.

The blaze at Bach-Yager has already been ruled arson, after an early morning fire destroyed most of the building’s interior.

The Columbia Fire and Police Departments held a joint news conference Thursday morning at the fire department’s headquarters on Orr Street. Detective Steve Wilmoth said the two fires are part of a trend the department noticed the last several months.

“We’ve had some windows broken out and some paint in some areas,” Wilmoth said. “And then we’ve had some threats towards the staff of the church.”

Wilmoth estimated vandals struck a half-dozen churches since October across town. In response, the department will put a greater focus on churches.

“Our patrol division is now going to be patrolling the churches quite often, so be expecting that,” Wilmoth said.

Wilmoth and Assistant Battalion Chief Brad Frazier said churches can help deter crime by ensuring surveillance cameras work and lighting around the building remains in good shape. Wilmoth also suggested church owners leave a light on inside the building.

The two-alarm fire at Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel sent smoke pouring out of windows around 5 a.m. on November 16. The fire department said multiple people called 9-1-1 from Interstate 70, as the former church is a few hundred feet away from the road.

“As you can see by the pictures, the soot that was coming out of the windows was really heavy,” Paragon Restoration owner Randy Wild said Wednesday. “I mean, everything in there was just black.”

Wild’s company is working on clearing, demolishing and rebuilding the inside of the church. Wild told ABC 17 News his company demolished about 95-percent of the building, and will have to tear the roof off to complete the work.

“Probably the biggest hurdle for us was the ornate beams that were exposed in the chapel area, and they were burned really bad,” Wild said. “We’ll cut the roof in half, then cut out sections where the beams are, then pull the beams off with a crane.”

Wild estimates it will cost $500,000 to fix the church.

Funeral chapel co-owner John Bach said he hopes to re-open the old church in the spring.

ABC 17 News first looked into the fire at Parkade Baptist Church in November. Church pastor Chris Cook said a small fire burned one of the entrances behind the building. A Columbia police officer driving through the parking lot first noticed the fire.

Cook said the church plans to add security cameras, following an attempted break-in shortly after the suspicious fire.

Frazier said an anonymous donor is offering $1,000 to anyone who provides a tip that leads to an arrest and conviction in the funeral home’s fire. Another woman, who told ABC 17 News she was devastated by the arson, is offering $500 for a similar tip.

Frazier said anyone with information can call CrimeStoppers at 573-875-TIPS to provide information confidentially.

Frazier also asked for anyone at the following places to help the department solve the crimes: Parkade Blvd. and Garth Avenue on Oct. 31 between 1-2 a.m. (related to the fire at Parkade Baptist Church), Garth and Texas Aves. on November 16 from 4-5 a.m. (Bach-Yager Funeral Chapel), and the Eagle Stop gas station on Providence Road and Texas Ave. at the same date and time.

(Editor’s note, 1/8, 6:09 p.m.: This story has been updated with the latest from the Columbia Fire and Police Departments news conference.)