Chandler Pastor Suspects Arson In Halfway House Fire

A halfway house in Chandler, meant to help people piece their lives back together, now sits in ruins after a Tuesday blaze. The man who oversees the property said it may have been set on purpose.

“You couldn’t tell what it was,” neighbor Gene Garcia remembered. “You couldn’t tell that it was a house or not. That’s how much fire was in it. That’s how strong it was.”

Pastor David Burgess leads the God’s House of Prayer in Chandler. He said neighbors began calling when the house his church had recently acquired went up in flames.

“It’s an evil, cruel world that we live in and I don’t know if there’s a vindictive, had a vendetta or if it was,” Burgess said. “But for what reason, I have no idea one.”

The church was working to repair the house and had just installed new plumbing and drywall. That noble mission - to give folks a second chance and a roof over their heads - came to a screeching halt Tuesday morning.

“Allegedly, I believe that an individual came in and kicked the door and stole some tools, lots of tools and stuff in the home and basically set it on fire,” Burgess said.

The state fire marshal and Chandler police are both investigating. Burgess said his focus now shifts to helping the men who called the halfway house home.

“These guys are still out here, and they are in our community, and they are going to be somewhere and it’s best to have a place that has structure that they can come to and that’s what we’re hoping for,” Burgess said.

The police department said they're unable to provide any comment on the fire because it's still under investigation.

“What’s next is that it’s in God’s hands and I’m praying that if this is what god wants to do, that we have people that will come together in faith, in the community,” Burgess said.

Donations to help the halfway house recover can be mailed to 301 East 11th Street, Chandler, OK 74834. The church can be reached at 405-258-4079.