A fire that tore through the foyer of North Knoxville Baptist Church early Wednesday has been ruled an intentional act, and investigators have charged a 43-year-old man after tracking him down at a nearby camp. The Knoxville Fire Department said crews extinguished the blaze within 30 minutes, and no one was hurt.
According to Yahoo News, a person driving by called to report smoke coming from the church off West Oldham Avenue around 6:30 a.m., and crews responded within minutes. When they arrived, the fire was right inside the church door, with smoke pouring from the front and top of the building, the outlet reported. No one was inside the church at the time, and no injuries were reported.
The Knoxville Fire Department said the church foyer sustained fire, smoke and water damage, while the rest of the building suffered heavy smoke damage, per the same report. The fire was put out within 30 minutes, while the rest of the building suffered heavy smoke damage.
Investigators Trace Evidence to a Nearby Camp
The fire department determined the blaze had been intentionally set, as reported by WIVK. Evidence collected from the scene, along with video footage, helped investigators identify a suspect: 43-year-old Jeremy Lee Hensley.
Investigators located Hensley at a nearby camp and took him into custody at approximately 8 a.m., the station reported. He was charged with felony arson and burglary and booked into custody. Authorities said Hensley has no known affiliation with North Knoxville Baptist Church, and additional charges may be forthcoming as the investigation continues. No information about a possible motive has been released.
As first reported by WATE 6 On Your Side, the fire department had posted earlier Wednesday that crews were working to put out the flames at the church, located at 217 W. Oldham Avenue. The station noted the church was founded in 1930, a reminder of just how long the congregation has stood in that North Knoxville neighborhood before Wednesday's fire.
A Pattern of Fires at Local Houses of Worship
This is not the first fire at a Knoxville church that investigators have scrutinized. A small fire was reported outside the Eternal Life Center in the city's Mechanicsville area, according to WBIR, and crews there also managed to extinguish it before it spread into the building. That fire still caused thousands of dollars in damage to the house of worship, per the same report.
Fires at houses of worship are not rare nationally. The U.S. Fire Administration estimates that an average of 1,300 fires in places of worship were reported to fire departments across the country each year from 2020 to 2022, resulting in an estimated $74.6 million in property loss annually.
For now, the church's foyer has fire, smoke and water damage, while the rest of the building has heavy smoke damage as the investigation into Hensley continues. Fire officials have not released further details on what, if any, additional charges might follow.
