Suspicious fires burn churches, homes in Bend
BEND, Ore. (AP) — A string of suspicious fires burned homes and churches early Wednesday in Bend, where police tracked footprints in the snow in search of suspects.
There were no injuries. Numerous streets at the south end of downtown and the adjacent Old Town neighborhood were closed for the cleanup and investigation, KTVZ reported.
The fires began shortly after 2 a.m., when smoke was spotted coming from Trinity Episcopal Church. As police and fire units arrived, another fire was reported at nearby Grace Bible Church.
Dispatchers soon received a report of a home engulfed in flames and fires in trash cans in an alley near the Episcopal church. A garage fire in the alley spread to an adjacent house.
Larry Medina, deputy chief of fire prevention, told KBND radio that five structures had been involved, including the two churches, with extensive damage to Trinity Episcopal Church, which was built in 1929 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Police said rocks had been thrown through windows of the church.
Two vehicles also burned.
Fire crews from as far away as La Pine and Redmond were called in, as well as others from the Sisters, Cloverdale, Black Butte Ranch and Sunriver fire departments. The firefighters relieved Bend crews and helped staff fire stations.
Fresh snow challenged fire crews. A Sisters fire captain said they had to drive close to 20 mph at times for safety reasons.
Pacific Power and Cascade Natural Gas crews were called in to help get lines shut off, and the Red Cross was called in to assist displaced residents.
Sounds like there is a Fire Bug running around. Hope who ever is doing this is caught fast before someone gets hurt. No place in todays world for a fire bug...
Hmmm, this sounds suspicious.
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@feral    no, it said these were churches,  obama would give them money if they were mosques! remember he is a muslim!
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@john Desert spirits, Jesus believed in them and now should you.
ok, what is a djinn?
@john @deejm2112 You don't actually believe that, do you?  That's such bunk.
@john Your name is of Hebrew origin, I thought you were a Christian?
@Sundowner @john @deejm2112 Some people really ARE that stupid.
how many christians would name their son Hussein?
@feral Only a paranoid delusionist would relate this to Obama (I know delusionist is not a word).....
That's what insurance is for.
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@feral @deejm2112  Yes...it's his fault it rained today, y'know.
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@Dr. Rawdog With hoods??
Quick!, put out an apb for the words "hate Crime" which are mysteriously missing from all reports of these fires. I'm not religious myself, but if these were two Muslim churches, the national media would be falling all over themselves to tag this as a Hate Crime. That's a fact.
@last boyscout  Muslims don't have churches. They have mosques. That's a fact.
@last boyscout Â
Christians are being killed for their religion all over the world. Because the west loves to hate a Christian it's completely being ignored and unreported.
@ormom @last boyscout I find it interesting that it's a Episcopal Church and a non-denominational evangelical church.If indeed the fires were directed at Christians I must say they are not knowledgable about the differences between the two.The evangelical church tends to anger many groups who the Episcopal church supports.
@ormom,  yes all this must come to pass, for it is written in the bible, there will come a time, near the end, man will deny the existence of god and be persecuted for believing in him!
@Mikey @feral Try reading more than what your told, your statements reek of ignorance.
@OliverNicholas So you believe in science. That's nice.
I believe in God, and I believe that God uses what we might call "absolute science", to do what he does. But because we (mankind, collectively) are so ignorant of the laws that govern that absolute science, we make it out to be some kind of magic.
And you've got to admit, as far as the universe is concerned, we as a species are pretty lame when it comes to understanding things.
@feral Why are there still chimps? Silly goose, everyone knows that in every batch of popcorn there are some unpopped kernels! (Wink, wink!)
@john @OliverNicholas At the risk of opening a gigantic can of worms, do you actually believe 'man' just showed up on earth about 2,500 years ago via Adam and Eve?  All I'm asking is if you actually believe that.  You realize that DNA of humans is 97.5% identical to chimpanzees, right?
oh, and your sicence tells you your great great ancestors were apes too! none of my ancestors were apes!  sorry!
@oliver, yes there have always been those who doubt god, but near the end times a great number of people will choose to doubt god, at the same time there will be great knowledge, (internet maybe?)
@john Hilarious, humans have always denied the existence of god or gods since humans became entrapped in their first attempt to explain the natural world. And every generation there have been doomsayers that preach that they're so special that the entire planet will end in their honor... how "humble". I have much more confidence in Science - namely because when we use Science it allows our questions to come to life in a manner and become observable, testable, verifiable and one of the most amazing things about it is that it doesnt always give us what we want to hear, thats integrity, thats worth believeing in!
@ormom @last boyscout This story is about fires in Bend.  Unless you live over here, you're blowing smoke out of your 'Christian' orifice about "Christians are being killed for their religion" junk as far as this area....I'll guarantee you if the arsonist is caught it's either a teenager (bored) or someone who's a bit mentally unbalanced.  This isn't exactly a hot spot for the anti-Episcopal crowd.
@ormom The Mars church in gay town was vandalized.
@OliverNicholas Couldn't agree with you more.  It's just not a hotbed of anti-religion anything, quite the opposite.
@Sundowner @ormomReligion deserves no respect itself - it hasn't earned it. Only the law that allows freedom of religion or no religion deserves respect.  Provided this is an attack specifically against organized religion the person or people involved here allowed their opinion to manifest into an attack. What we need to protect and respect is the law that allows opinions and dialogue but not physical destruction of or bodily harm to the individual, places of worship and or personal property.
I'm familiar with the region and the last time we had any anti-Christians there was back in the late 70's and early 80's with the Rajneeshees. Â Its not impossible that this is a "hate" crime, but the odds would suggest that a deviant of limited mental capacity and stricken with boredom is more likely.Â
@ormom YOU began this entire thread by bringing up some lame reference to Christian persecution throughout the west.  Then you brought in lesbians and CakeBoy.  Then the Boston Tea Party.  Then a church fire in Los Angeles and one in New York.  I've tried repeatedly to keep this about Bend, Oregon.  I'll ask you, when's the last time you came over the hill and spent any time in Central Oregon?  You don't have a clue what you're blathering about, you're just writing to write and read your own words, an attempt at a game of one-upmanship.
@Sundowner
If it's only about Bend why did you bring Tualatin into it? And why on earth do you think Bend can't be just one example of what goes on in the larger society it exists in? You should give it up and just stop replying to me if you don't have a useful point to make. Never mind, go ahead and reply and I'll let you have the last word.
@ormom Don't you get it?  This story is about Bend.  Central Oregon Bend.  Are you at all willing to wait and find out who/why these fires started instead of attacking me for saying I thought they were caused by either bored teenagers or someone with mental issues?  Jeesh -- just shooooo.
@ormom I'm actually not a bigot at all.  I don't care what anyone believes about religion despite not believing in it myself.  If you want to go through life following dogma in order to make yourself do the right thing, have at it.  I'm capable of doing those things on my own.
@Sundowner
The following links took me about 10 seconds to find. There are plenty more but I'm sure you get the point? or maybe not...
http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2013/01/30/2-churches-vandalized-in-arcadia-hate-crime-suspected/
http://www.greenpointnews.com/news/5244/church-vandalism-being-looked-at-as-possible-hate-crimes@Sundowner
And so you will remain an ignorant bigot everytime you open your mouth on the subject and remain hell-bent on denying it.
@ormom As an aside, why would I (or any sane person) do "actual research of global christian persecution"?  I'd rather go to the dentist, read 'Cinderella' or visit my OB/GYN. Â
@ormom Did you even read the link I provided you because you're too lazy to do any research?  The 13-year olds weren't persecuting you and your precious religious beliefs.  They were arsonist vandals.  We'll see about the fires in Bend, but short of saying "shoooo", I don't know what else to say to you.  You'll hell-bent on labeling this series of fires as some kind of persecution -- didn't someone else ask you if you're a bit paranoid?  There's medication for that.
@Sundowner
Why are you so quick and vigorous to dismiss that the churches were targeted because they were churches? Were there any businesses or warehouses, etc. targeted? Do you know what was in the mind of the people who did this?Â
Have you done any actual research of global christian persecution - you know, stuff that might not be on KATU? If not, then you must be just blowing smoke out your bigoted arse, correct?
@ormom You truly don't have a clue, which is not unusual for those who believe in fairy tales.  I'm not just concerned about the arsons, I'm outraged. But I'm also outraged when you come on claiming religious persecution when you know nothing about who or why these fires happened.  Do you remember this story?  Teenagers with too much time on their hands.  Although I'm sure to you they were anti-Lutheran.  I'm not buying your "I'm just the victim of religious persecution" dogma.http://www.kgw.com/news/Three-alarm-fire-hits-Tualatin-church-school-143302446.html
@Sundowner
Civil disobedience to an unjust law is a time honored tradition in the US. Remember the Boston Tea Party?
@SundownerÂ
My comment about your reaction to cake vs arson wasn't immature at all. It was a statement of the obvious. And for someone who is concerned about the LAW as you say, that only begs the question, why aren't you as exercised over the arson of churches as you are about cake? Perspective - you need some.
@ormomYou're right, I misspoke. Â It's not a part of Oregon's constitution, it's merely a part of Oregon law. Â Scroll down, if you're capable, to the part about "Discrimination in Public Accommodation", you'll know why CakeBoy is being investigated. Â Pretty clear explanation, even for an 8th grader. Â http://www.oregon.gov/boli/CRD/pages/c_crprotoc.aspx
@ormom @last boyscout  It's not my "home town", Ms. Logical/Rational -- takes me an hour just to drive there.  There were houses burned down too, as well as a few vehicles.  Are your going to say the pro-Satan crowd is sending a message to vehicle owners and everyone who owns a garage?  As for your immature comment about cakes, my concern has and always will be about people following the LAW.  You seem to be one who wants to pick and choose which laws are followed -- I call that the ultimate in hypocrisy.  But then, I'm not logical and rational like you.Â
@SundownerÂ
The Oregon law will be stricken and/or re-written because you cannot trample on one constitutionally protected right to promote another 'right', one that may not even be in the constitution to begin with - it hasn't been decided yet. It's really a very simple legal concept.
@SundownerÂ
No, I'm logical and rational so I don't see it your way at all. Why aren't you all exercised that someone in your home town is burning down churches? Cakes are more important to you than arson? Again, I put your own hypocrisy in perspective.
@starshadow @ormom @last boyscout It isn't "hijacking" when the definition is contained in the Oregon Constitution.  You can babble on about whether homosexuality is a 'choice', but it doesn't matter.....you want the Constitution changed, then have at it.  Hopefully (for you) it won't be stricken down by the Supreme Court.Â
@Sundowner @ormom @last boyscout And burning down homes and churches is way past a supposed "violation of civil rights."
Last I knew, discrimination protection was supposed to be for things about a person that couldn't be changed - not protection for sexual preference - preference means CHOICE, aka what they PREFER.
It would be at least as valid to protect a pedophile's right to children - since their desires *are* a permanent part of their nature. Technically, we discriminate them by incarcerating them - and most of us are all for it.
The word "discriminate" means to "distinguish between," regardless of who has claimed it for themselves.
It's human nature to notice - and act upon - the differences between objects, locations, situations, feelings, needs, and yes, even people.
Hijacking a word to apply it to personal agendas is wrong.
@ormom @last boyscout Uhhh....the State is investigating your precious CakeBoy for discrimination, am I right?  I got all "exercised" because he was accused of violating someone else's civil rights.  You realize that for those of us who aren't religious, trying to have a reasonable debate with you is not only an exorcism in wasted time but also like trying to debate Grimm's Fairy Tales with a child, right?
@Sundowner Â
I mean look at how exercised you got just because someone wouldn't bake a cake for a lesbian. Just trying to put your hypocrisy in persepective for you.Â
@ormom @last boyscout Well, whoever started these fires has also been taught to disrespect garbage cans as well as garages and homes of total strangers.  Oh, those hellions and their shenanigans. Â
@last boyscout "I'll be here through Thursday -- tip your waiter".  =)  I'm not "deep" enough this early to have even thought of the mumbo-jumbo Pope stuff.  But can I take credit anyway? Â
@SundownerÂ
Bored teens don't single out churches to vandalize unless they have been taught to disrespect religion. So even if it turns out to be teens, there is a problem. If some teens burned down a gay activist's office you'd be all over the hate crime thing and blaming their parents for instilling hate.
@Sundowner Your comment made me laugh this time:-)  Is that 'smoke' reference because of the whole Pope thing going on?