The Nova Scotia RCMP is investigating the latest in a string of suspicious fires in Cumberland County after a 160-year-old church was destroyed in a blaze early Friday morning.
According to a release from police, officers and members of the Collingwood Volunteer Fire Department responded to a report of a suspicious fire at an old church on Wyvern Road in River Philip around 2:20 a.m.
The structure was not occupied at the time. While the fire department was able to extinguish the fire, the building is a total loss.
“The fire is believed to be suspicious and RCMP officers have secured the scene as they await assistance from the Nova Scotia Fire Marshal’s Office,” the release said.
This is the seventh suspicious fire in the Collingwood and River Philip area since Aug. 5. The release said the investigations related to each fire remain ongoing and investigators continue to gather evidence and information.
The RCMP had previously said the other fires targeted a number other structures, including a barn and a covered bridge. In one case, hay bales were also set ablaze.
Police have released video footage of the fire in River Philip “in the hopes that it will generate new leads in the fire investigations.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cumberland district RCMP at 902-597-3779. People can also submit anonymous tips through Crime Stoppers online or by calling 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
RCMP spokesperson Cpl. Chris Marshall confirmed the fire happened at the River Philip United Church, located at 2808 Wyvern Road.
He said the building had recently been bought by someone who was looking to renovate it and was no longer being used as a church.
According to the Canadian Register of Historic Places website, the wooden church was built in 1862 and “is valued as an excellent example of a country church adorned with unusual design elements and Classical Revival features.”
“The church is also valued for its association with the early settlers of River Philip, and for the role it played in the development of the community,” the website said.
Comments