Fire at South Carolina Black Church Wasn't Arson

A federal law enforcement official said Wednesday that a fire that destroyed a black church that 20 years ago was a target of the Ku Klux Klan was not the work of an arsonist. Local and regional officials said at a news conference that they haven't ruled out any potential causes in the fire. But the federal official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly, told The Associated Press that preliminary indications show the fire at the Mount Zion African Methodist Episcopal Church in Greeleyville was not intentionally set and was not arson. The fire, which was reported about 9 p.m. Tuesday as storms moved through the area — occurred as federal authorities also investigate a series of fires at black churches in several Southern states. So far, there is no indication the fires are related.