Police investigating suspicious fire at church
We are investigating a suspicious fire that occurred at a church in Forest Heights on Sunday evening.
Around 7:20 p.m., on Sunday, July 04, 2021, the Calgary Fire Department was called to the 4900 block of Forego Avenue for reports of a church on fire. They were able to extinguish the fire and determine that no one was inside the building.
Our Arson Unit is now working closely with Calgary Fire Department investigators to determine how the fire started and if it was intentionally set. The team of detectives investigating the recent vandalism of churches in Calgary will also be involved in the investigation to determine if there are any links to the other cases.
It is still too early to know what occurred at this church and investigators need time to determine if the fire was started on purpose and why.
We are very aware of the current tensions in the community around residential schools and the acts of vandalism and arson that have been occurring. We will examine whether there is any connection in this case, but we are asking people in the meantime to be patient while we work to figure out what exactly happened.
Our Service acknowledges the trauma, hurt and anger being felt by many in the community over the recent news of graves being found at former residential schools. While the vast majority of people have been peacefully expressing their responses to these events, we also know that the unlawful vandalism and burning of churches across the country has left many in our community feeling unsafe.
While it is currently unclear if this fire is connected to the recent residential school events, we want to assure the community that we are committed to working towards peaceful reconciliation while still performing our duties of upholding the law and protecting public safety.
Anyone with information on this fire is asked to call us at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Crime Stoppers through any of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
TYPE: www.calgarycrimestoppers.org
APP: “P3 Tips”
Case # 21254773
To learn how we are working to protect churches in Calgary, visit
https://newsroom.calgary.ca/church-security-a-focus-as-vandalism-investigations-continue/
To learn about our ongoing efforts to support reconciliation, visit
https://www.calgary.ca/cps/commitment-to-anti-racism/indigenous-reconciliation.html