A man charged with setting a church ablaze in Gloucester County on Saturday morning was allegedly granted access to a storage area at the site, where he periodically used a butane torch and brake cleaner to fend off insects, according to court documents.
Brian P. Cannon, 44, of National Park, is charged with two third-degree counts of arson and third-degree aggravated assault for allegedly setting fire to Colonial Manor United Methodist Church in West Deptford, according to police.
Court records did not list an attorney for Cannon as of Monday morning. He is scheduled for his first court appearance on the charges Monday afternoon.
First responders were dispatched to the church around 6:40 a.m. Saturday and found an active fire in the basement, police said.
One firefighter suffered “severe” burns to his hands battling the blaze and was taken to a hospital for treatment, police stated in the criminal complaint filed against Cannon.
Cannon traveled to the Elberne Avenue church around 5 a.m. Saturday to place items in a storage room located beneath exterior stairs, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed with the charges.
A pastor gave Cannon access to the spot to store items, including gasoline, brake cleaner, spray paint, clothing and tools, police stated in the affidavit.
The storage space is frequently infested by spider crickets and Cannon would “commonly scare the crickets off with a butane torch,” in addition to spraying brake cleaner at the insects, police said.
Cannon unlocked the storage area Saturday morning, began to remove items “to make room,” then sprayed brake fluid inside the storage area, according to the affidavit.
Cannon told police he was the only person at the church and he “could not recall if he ignited the butane torch,” the affidavit said. He said he fell asleep “and was woken up by a neighbor and advised of the fire.”
The cause of the fire remains under investigation, authorities said.
The blaze damaged the section of the church housing a food pantry and thrift shop, explained Pastor Walter Mander. The sanctuary and fellowship hall escaped the flames, but remain closed for smoke damage remediation.
The food pantry regularly serves more than 50 people and remains closed, the pastor said, but the church hopes to relocate the operation to the social hall once the building is cleared for reopening.
The church is insured, Mander said, but there will be extra costs associated with navigating the aftermath of the fire.
Donations may be mailed to: Colonial Manor United Methodist Church, 56 Elberne Ave., West Deptford, NJ 08086
The Colonial Manor congregation is worshipping in their partner church in Westville at 9:30 on Sunday mornings, Manner said.
“We hope to be back into the sanctuary in Colonial Manor in a couple of weeks, after the electricity is restored, the smoke smell is remediated and we have approval from the authorities,” the pastor said.
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Matt Gray may be reached at mgray@njadvancemedia.com.
