Fire at Palin's church possible arson

WASILLA, Alaska, Dec. 14 (UPI) -- A fire that caused more than $1 million in damage to Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's church in Wasilla, Alaska, may have been set by an arsonist, investigators say.

Flames and smoke were coming from the Wasilla Bible Church Friday evening when as many as 30 to 40 volunteer firefighters arrived at the three-story structure, and officials said Saturday they were treating the fire as a possible arson, the Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday.

"We are definitely treating it as suspicious and as potential arson at this point," James Steele, chief of the Central Mat-Su Fire Department, told the newspaper, adding nothing so far suggests any political motivation for the fire.

"Right now there's no indication that we have that there's any connection there," he said. "We just don't have any leads at all as far as the intent or motive in this."

"We have no idea what caused it," the Rev. Larry Kroon of the Wasilla Bible Church told CNN.

Palin apologized to church's assistant pastor Saturday if the fire was connected to her Republican U.S. vice-presidential candidacy, a statement from her office said.