Three college students accused of setting fire to a string of rural churches were granted release on bail by a federal judge Thursday, but they will remain in custody because of new arrest warrants issued by the state.

The Alabama warrants charged the trio with arson in Bibb County, where five of the nine blazes occurred early last month, and officials said charges were possible in the western Alabama counties where four more small Baptist churches were torched.

The three were arrested March 8 on federal charges of conspiracy and setting fire to one of the churches. Evidence indicates the fires began as a prank that went out of control on a night of drinking and hunting. Defense attorneys have said the fires were not crimes of hate.