An investigation into the July 6 fire that destroyed most of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Petersburg determined that the blaze started with maintenance work outside the building.
Petersburg Fire Marshal Ryan Welde said in a statement that the fire was accidental.
The fire started at ground level on the exterior of the building, the statement said. The fire marshal’s report did not explain what maintenance work was underway that ignited the flames.
The fire then traveled up the wall via rigid foam insulation behind the vinyl siding and continued to spread into the eaves and attic space, as well as into insulation under the metal roofing, according to the report.
From there, the fire continued to spread throughout the roof in the insulation located between the 3.5-inch-thick, tongue-and-groove roof structure.
Welde wrote that a fire investigator representing the church's insurance company came to the same conclusion about the cause of the destructive blaze.
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