Security increases after fires at two churches

? Police increased their patrols of Greenville churches Sunday after fires broke out at two Baptist churches during the night and a break-in was discovered at a third – all within an hour.

“We’re going to be highly visible at our churches,” Greenville Police Chief William Anderson said Sunday.

The speed of the first fire at The Memorial Baptist Church led investigators to treat both Saturday night fires as crime scenes, fire chief Mike Burton said.

There were no immediate reports of injuries, and authorities said they found no signs of fires at any other church in Greenville, which is about 75 miles east of Raleigh.

The fire at Unity Free Will Baptist Church, about a mile from The Memorial, was contained to a single room and damage was estimated at $30,000 to $40,000.

Police were also investigating a break-in at Oakmont Baptist Church, less than three-quarters of a mile from The Memorial, said police Cpl. Kip Gaskins.