On an early Wednesday morning, the Rev. Barry L. Conn, along with other parish members, watched in despair as fire fighters doused the embers of what had been the Pike Run Church of the Brethren on Route 31 in Jefferson, Sommerset County.

The Tuesday, January 27th inferno marked the third in the area in a week.

The Wednesday before, January 21st, a fire destroyed Barren Run United Methodist Church in South Huntingdon, and a fire on the following day heavily damaged Salem Regular Baptist Church in Rostraver.

A state police fire marshal, along with agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, are investigating all three fires. However, none of the agents were prepared to say whether the Pike Run fire was related to last week's fires in Westmoreland County; although L.C. Myers, a state police fire marshal, determined that the Pike Run fire had been set.

Before the terrible tragedy, the Pike Run Church stood for 84 years.

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