Fires in small Casar community extinguished before major damage; investigation underway
CASAR, N.C. (Worthy News) – Authorities are investigating two suspected arson attacks on churches in a small North Carolina town after fires were deliberately set late Friday night.
According to the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, the fires broke out between 9:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. at Tabernacle Baptist Church and Calvary’s Cross Baptist Church, both located near Casar — a rural community of roughly 300 residents northwest of Charlotte.
“Fortunately, both fires were spotted by citizens who quickly put the fire out before significant damage occurred,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “These events are still under investigation.”
No arrests have been made, and authorities confirmed that arson is suspected. Deputies responded to the scenes alongside local fire departments and the Cleveland County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Local residents played a crucial role in preventing the destruction of the churches. Neighbors told WSOC-TV that a group of Boy Scouts passing by on their way to a camping trip stopped and used their own water and tea to douse flames at Calvary’s Cross Baptist Church. The building suffered minor siding damage.
At Tabernacle Baptist Church, a member of the 35-person congregation happened to drive by and spotted the fire in time to stop it from spreading. “If it wasn’t for them, it might not be here yet,” said Pastor Homer Tessner, expressing gratitude that the church was spared.
Pastor Billy Boone of Calvary’s Cross Baptist said the incidents have left the tight-knit community shaken. “We’ve never had anything like this to happen before, and the church has been in existence for 50 years,” Boone told local media.
The two churches are located about eight miles apart. Both pastors and community members are now praying for answers and justice.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
A Christian pastor detained in Nicaragua since July 2025 has been released from prison but placed under house arrest along with five other Christian believers, Worthy News established on Thursday.
An injured Christian pastor in eastern India says recalling Bible verses gave him strength to survive hours of brutal abuse by a Hindu mob that accused him of converting Hindus to Christianity.
U.S. forces carried out five sets of precision strikes against Islamic State targets across Syria between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, the U.S. military’s U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday.
U.S. forces carried out five sets of precision strikes against Islamic State targets across Syria between Jan. 27 and Feb. 2, the U.S. military’s U.S. Central Command announced Wednesday.
U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff announced on Feb. 5 that Ukraine and Russia have agreed to exchange 314 prisoners, marking the first such swap in five months and the most tangible outcome yet from U.S.-brokered talks held in Abu Dhabi. The exchange followed multiple days of trilateral negotiations involving delegations from Washington, Kyiv, and Moscow.
The Supreme Court of the United States on Wednesday declined to take up a legal challenge to California’s newly drawn congressional map, allowing the state to proceed with district lines that effectively eliminate five Republican-held U.S. House seats.
President Donald Trump said Thursday that Iran has entered negotiations with the United States because it fears potential military action, as both sides prepare for high-stakes talks expected to take place in Oman. Speaking at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Trump said Tehran “doesn’t want us to hit them,” adding that a U.S. naval fleet is in the region as pressure increases.