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Michael Brown's memorial on fire under mysterious circumstances

Residents rebuilt one of two memorials to Michael Brown on Canfield Drive in Ferguson after it burned Tuesday.

By Gabrielle Levy
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon pauses for a moment on August 14, 2014 at the area where teen Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Missouri policeman on August 9, 2014. Nixon met with clergy, political and law enforcement officials to try to come up with ideas to end the violence the area has seen since the shooting. UPI/Bill Greenblatt
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon pauses for a moment on August 14, 2014 at the area where teen Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson, Missouri policeman on August 9, 2014. Nixon met with clergy, political and law enforcement officials to try to come up with ideas to end the violence the area has seen since the shooting. UPI/Bill Greenblatt | License Photo

FERGUSON, Mo., Sept. 23 (UPI) -- A memorial to Michael Brown near where he died was burned early Tuesday morning, and has been rebuilt by residents.

Police said they are investigating the cause of the fire, which involved the smaller of two memorials on Canfield Drive in Ferguson, Mo., and occurred between 6 and 7 a.m. The larger memorial, in the middle of the street and marking the spot on which Brown was killed, was undamaged.

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The fire may have been started by burning candles that were part of the memorial on the side of the street, and in one photo, an overturned votive candle can be seen next to the burn site.

But David Whitt, who leads a group called the Canfield Watchman, said he and several others smelled gasoline near the burn site.

"There was no way a candle did this," Whitt told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "That fire was burning too high and too hot."

A police sergeant tried to use a fire extinguisher to put out the flames, but ended up calling the fire department to douse it, said Police Chief Thomas Jackson.

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Around 10:30 a.m., a group of about 75 people gathered to rebuild the memorial with stuffed animals, t-shirts and flowers. They then joined hands and prayed, shouting "We are Mike Brown" as it ended.

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