Intentional fire at historic Chattanooga,Tennessee church

• Investigators are, however, looking for a person of interest in the arson investigation.
• The structures were part of the Highland Park Baptist Church and Tennessee Temple University.
• A reward of up to $5,000 is available for information that leads to an arrest.

A fire that severely damaged a historic church in Chattanooga, however, purposely started, according to investigators, who were looking for a person of interest in the arson investigation on Friday.

A three-alarm fire on June 10 at Phillips Chapel and Chauncey-Goode Auditorium in downtown Chattanooga nearly destroyed the structures.

Moreover, there were no reported injuries. More than 100 people assisted in putting out the fire.

According to investigators, photos collected from security tape showed a man on a bicycle in the vicinity around the time of the incident.

Read More: On Saturday night, six people were shot in downtown Chattanooga, Tennessee.

However, the structures were part of the Highland Park Baptist Church and Tennessee Temple University. According to the fire department, the property is currently part of the Redemption to the Nations Church complex.

“Many individuals have shared their recollections from events hosted at these well-known Chattanooga structures over the years,” the agency noted in a press release. “There have been thousands of people who have attended religious services, meetings, marriages, and graduations there.”

However, a monetary reward of up to $5,000 is available for information that leads to an arrest.