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EMERGENCY services investigators are treating the blaze which destroyed St Barnabas’ Anglican Church early yesterday as suspicious.
Firefighters were called to the blaze on Rocket Street, South Bathurst, around 1.40am yesterday.
Bathurst duty commander Inspector Brett Jackson said that when the two crews arrived at the scene, the church was already engulfed by flames.
“Unfortunately, due to risk of collapse, they were unable to enter the building,” he said.
Inspector Jackson said three additional crews from Bathurst, Blayney and Kelso were called to the scene.
Crews managed to contain the blaze to the church and prevent it from spreading to the church hall and bell tower.
“Once some of the roof section collapsed, we were able to get more water into the church to fight the flames,” he said.
Inspector Jackson said firefighters took around three hours to extinguish the blaze, but said there were still smouldering spots underneath the collapsed roof that needed to be extinguished late into the morning yesterday.
When the fire was extinguished, a crime scene was established by police.
Chifley Local Area Command Acting Inspector Jerry Cahill said police had spoken with witnesses who had seen a vehicle, a Suzuki Vitara, in the vicinity 20 minutes before the fire was noticed.
“Police followed up this information and impounded a vehicle,” he said. “We have spoken to the owner and will be carrying out a forensic examination of the vehicle soon.”
Inspector Cahill said the church appeared to have been broken into.
He said a fire investigator and forensic police examined the area yesterday.
“Getting in there was quite hard, but Fire and Rescue NSW have an accelerant sniffing dog which can go in to sniff out where the fire started,” he said.
Father Jame Hodson said it was very hard to contemplate that the church, which was built in 1881, could have been deliberately lit.
“It is sad to think that someone could feel as though they had to do that,” he said.
“Ultimately, though, if that was the case, we would offer a hand of forgiveness.”
Father Hodson said he simply could not believe the news when he was alerted around 2am.
“I came out straight away. It was quite a sight; it was very fierce,” he said.
“It has been a very hard morning for everybody. We are sad to have lost the church, but also for the city to lose such a beautiful old building.”
Residents John and Bronwyn Burrow were among the first on the scene.
“We came down and the fire brigade had just arrived. They hadn’t started putting any water on the flames yet,” Mr Burrow said.
Mr and Mrs Burrow and many of their neighbours watched the fire until it died down.
“The flames were huge,” Mrs Burrow said. “You could smell all the incense they use in the church as it burned.
“It was sad, very sad; people were crying.”