Cause of fire at historic Black church in Wilmington ruled ‘undetermined’

Why Should Delaware Care?
The Mother African Union Church is one of the oldest Black-founded congregations in the United States and has served as a refuge for generations of people. More than five months after a fire destroyed its building, investigators say they cannot pinpoint what caused it, though the case remains open.

More than five months after a fire destroyed the historic Mother African Union Church in Wilmington, investigators have officially classified the cause of the blaze as “undetermined.”

The Wilmington Fire Department announced the finding Tuesday in a statement posted to Facebook. 

Officials said that during their investigation they looked at all leads and searched areas of the charred structure deemed safe to enter. They said that a structural engineer determined that a large portion of the fire-damaged building was too unstable for investigators to go inside. 

While the cause is undetermined, fire officials said the investigation will remain open, and “further investigative steps will be taken as warranted based on any additional information that may arise.”

The statement comes after many in Wilmington waited anxiously to learn the cause of the May 17 fire that sent flames towering above the historic Black church. It had served as the physical home of the 200-year-old Mother African Union congregation since the 1960s.

Immediately following the blaze, Wilmington Fire Chief John Looney told the public that fire investigations of this significance “could take a couple weeks.” At the time, he noted that the engineer’s structural assessment had not been completed. 

In August, Elliot Larkin, Wilmington’s land use director, told Spotlight Delaware that fire officials had not been able to enter the site physically to conduct their investigation. 

“Due to the assessed instability and the water level within the basement, firefighters/officials would not enter the site physically, and an unmanned assessment, if possible, would be used instead,” Larkin told Spotlight Delaware in August. 

Larkin also told Spotlight Delaware that the severity of the damage caused by the fire meant the remains of the building had to be demolished. 

Officials from Wilmington’s Fire Marshall Office did not respond to the question of whether an “unmanned investigation” was actually conducted. 

Wilmington Fire Marshal Deputy Chief Andre Cooper also declined to answer questions about the evidence that was gathered during the investigation and the methods used. He also declined to provide the engineer’s structural analysis report that was completed after the fire. 

A Spotlight Delaware open records request for those documents is pending. 

According to the Tuesday statement, the Wilmington Fire Marshal’s Office, the Delaware State Fire Marshal’s Office, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the church’s insurance company all took part in the investigation. 

Four months before city officials classified the cause of the fire as “undetermined,” the fire department also took to Facebook in June to refute rumors that had been circulating, noting that “any information being disseminated on social media is false.”

Will the church be rebuilt?  

The Rev. Ronald Whitaker, senior pastor at the historic church, told Spotlight Delaware in August that he understands the cause may not be found because of the magnitude of the fire.

He also told Spotlight Delaware that he and his team plan to rebuild the church in the same location. 

“As far as I’m concerned, 812 North Franklin Street is still the Mother African Union Church home,” he said. 

Earlier this month, the Wilmington City Council passed a resolution to contribute $10,650 to the church’s rebuilding. A GoFundMe set up for the church’s restoration has also raised more than $24,000.  

During a press conference held next to the church one day after the fire, New Castle County Executive Marcus Henry said he would provide public dollars for the rebuilding effort. Since then, officials from Henry’s office said conversations with the church have taken place, but nothing has yet been finalized.

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