Arson Task Force Completes Portland Church Fire Investigation

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Salem-News.com

(PORTLAND) - The Metro Arson Task Force has finished the investigation of the site of the 4-alarm fire at Morning Star Missionary Baptist Church.

Investigators want to make it clear that the actual fire site is only one part of the process of investigating the cause of the fire.

They have a lot of information to process including witness statements, video and pictures taken during the fire, and what they learned sifting through the rumble at the church said Portland Fire spokesman Lt. Allen Oswalt.

Several samples were taken from the interior of the church and submitted to a lab for analysis.

The results for those tests are not expected for at least a week Oswalt said.

In the mean time the Task Force will be meeting and staying in close contact, while they follow up on leads, and piece together the information gathered to this point.

The property was released to the custody of Pastor Johnson Saturday night.

Wells Fargo has opened an account for anyone who wants to make a donation to help in the rebuilding of the historic Morning Star Missionary Baptish Church in Northeast Portland, which was destroyed by fire late Monday night.

The church was built in 1892.

Donations can be made to the "Morning Star Catastrophe Relief Fund" at any Wells Fargo bank branch