State Fire Marshal: Cause of December fire at Hankinson church ‘undetermined’

FARGO (KVRR) – Authorities have concluded their investigation of a fire that extensively damaged a Hankinson church in December.

The North Dakota Fire Marshal’s Office says the cause of the December 16 fire at St. Philip’s Catholic Church is undetermined.

But the fire investigator’s 17-page report says hours before the fire was reported, painters were working in the area where the fire began and set up scaffolding to reach the ceiling.

The painters used a grinding wheel to cut a chain that was holding speakers to the ceiling, possibly igniting insulation in the attic.

The report also says that due to the location of the affected area, the electrical wiring and fixtures weren’t inspected and could not be eliminated as a potential cause.

The fire caused extensive damage to the church ceiling and attic. It took firefighters from several nearby communities about four hours to bring the fire under control.

There were no injuries.