A fire that destroyed playground equipment and damaged a building at a Baptist church in Asheville could have been worse, the pastor said.
The fire at Starnes Cove Baptist Church during the dark morning hours of July 21 was “scary,” said Charlie Sams, the church’s pastor.
“It could have been a whole lot worse,” he said. “If it would have gotten into building we would have had some real damage.”
Firefighters managed to get the fire under control before it got to the building, which still suffered smoke damage. Some windows were also broken and the roof was scorched.
Sams said investigators believe the fire was not an accident. The playground equipment was made of heavy plastic that is difficult to burn and high humidity made it unlikely a tossed cigarette could have started the fire.
The playground equipment was given to the church by a local fast food restaurant about a year ago. Sams said the church’s insurance will pay to replace the equipment and the cleanup of the building.