Fire at Arlington church rectory considered suspicious
ARLINGTON – Investigators are looking into a suspicious early morning fire at an Arlington church.
An officer noticed smoke in the rectory of St. Athanasius Church on Appleton Street around 1:30 a.m.
The building was unoccupied and is currently undergoing renovations.
Firefighters found a smoldering fire in the basement and quickly put it out.
"We're asking anyone with information on this fire or how it started to share it with investigators," Arlington Fire Chief Kevin Kelley said.
Anyone with information can call the Arson Watch Reward Program at 1 (800) 682-9229. A reward of $5,000 is offered for information that leads to an arrest.
"There are few fire incidents more concerning than those that affect houses of worship," State Fire Marshal Peter Ostroskey said. "We want the community to know that we take this fire, and any fire at a place of worship, seriously."