A fire which destroyed a rural church in northwestern Wisconsin is deemed suspicious. The Barron County Sheriff’s Department was notified about a fire at the New Scandinavia Lutheran Church in Hillsdale shortly before 7:00 Friday morning. When firefighters and deputies arrived, fire was coming from inside the church. “When the first deputy arrived on the scene, he noticed some things out of place,” Barron County Sheriff Chris Fitzgerald said. “That’s why we believe it’s suspicious.” Seven fire departments were called to the scene. Fitzgerald said the state fire Marshall will investigate the scene, along with federal Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) agents. “Because it is a church, and we don’t know the motive, ATF gets involved.”
Kurt Mayer, WXCE