Two fires at Detroit church under investigation

A historic church in Detroit, the former Bushnell Congregational Church, experienced two separate fires on Saturday. Investigators are now looking into the causes of these fires. Firefighters were called to the church first around 8:30 a.m. for a fire at the back of the building. Detroit Fire Chief Percy Warmack noted it was likely a warming fire that had gotten out of control. Less than 90 minutes later, firefighters returned after a fire broke out in the kitchen. Shaman Shu, the head of Soul Tribes International Ministries, expressed concern for valuable historic items stored in the kitchen. He worries about losing irreplaceable relics. The church had been closed by the city in 2023 due to concerns about illegal activity on the premises. City Council President Pro-Tem James Tate praised the closure as a victory for the community. Since then, Shu claimed that people had trespassed on the property, leading to drug use and theft. He criticized the lack of protection for the building, saying the city should take care of the assets in their possession. Fortunately, there were no injuries from the fires due to the building's vacancy. The fire department quickly extinguished the flames, and investigations, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, are ongoing.