BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- A weekend fire at a Baptist church was ruledarson Sunday, the 10th in a recent string of blazes set at churchesin rural Alabama, authorities said.
The Saturday afternoon blaze severely damaged the BeavertonFreewill Baptist Church in northwest Alabama, near the Mississippiline.
'It's definitely arson,' said Ragan Ingram, a spokesman for thestate fire marshal's office, which was investigating whether the firewas connected to the other blazes that have destroyed or damaged ninechurches since Feb. 2.
Saturday's fire was the only one that wasn't set in the pre-dawnhours.
Investigators have said they don't know a motive, but there is noracial pattern. Five of the churches had white congregations and fiveblack. All were Baptist, the dominant faith in the region.
Last week, Gov. Bob Riley said the nine earlier church firesappear linked, as investigators checked out witness reports of twomen in a sport utility vehicle near a number of the fires.
On Sunday, a federal investigator said authorities believe --based on witness reports and behavioral profilers -- two men wereresponsible for the fires.
'They're not youths or teens. It's probably someone in their 20sor 30s. We believe they're pretty much inseparable. They're somethinglike bosom buddies,' said Eric Kehn of the federal Alcohol, Tobacco,Firearms and Explosives agency.
Evidence from one of the earlier fires indicates the perpetratorsmay have been briefly trapped inside the building and may have beenhurt, said Jim Cavanaugh, ATF regional director.