LITTLE FALLS, Minn. (AP) - Authorities say arson is suspected in a fire that destroyed a former church near Little Falls in central Minnesota.
Morrison County Sheriff Shawn Larsen says the fire at the Darling Church in Darling Township was reported around 3:15 a.m. Friday. When deputies arrived the church was fully engulfed.
While firefighters kept the blaze from spreading into nearby woods, the building was a total loss.
The sheriff’s office says in a statement that investigators believe the fire was deliberately set, and it’s being investigated as arson. The state fire marshal’s office is assisting.
A reward has been offered of up to $5,000 for information that leads to an arrest and conviction.
A plaque outside the church says it was founded in 1893 as Darling Immanuel Lutheran Church and closed in 1967.
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