By Scott Harvey
– Investigators have determined that two church fires on the same night this week near Tyler were the acts of an arsonist, bringing the total to nine in the region so far this year.
The two Monday night fires at Dover Baptist Church and Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church happened within an hour and three miles of each other. No injuries have been reported, but agents suspect the work of a serial arsonist or group of arsonists in the eastern Texas fires.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tabacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as the Texas Department of Public Safety have set up hotlines for anyone to provide information on the fires.