BROADALBIN, N.Y. (WNYT) – The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office along with other agencies announced that they are investigating a series of five arsons and acts of criminal mischief. All of these incidents have taken place in a span of 48 hours that began Tuesday.

The first fire happened Tuesday afternoon at the Broadalbin Presbyterian Church, which authorities called suspicious.

Thursday at St. Joseph’s Church looked very similar to Broadalbin Presbyterian Church, as the doors were burned there, too. Lisa Seabolt works at the Church and noticed the fire this morning.

Someone said that “it smelled like wood smoke. So, I went over and one of their husbands was outside walking around the perimeter check. And I walked to the front of the church, and I saw scorch marks on the inside of one of the doors. And just as I touch that to see if it was hot, he was knocking on the outside of the door because he found evidence on the outside,” said Seabolt.

Seabolt said they also had another suspicious incident at St. Joseph’s Church on Wednesday.

“Yesterday our maintenance guy found evidence that he was on the side door of our church that someone had tried. It was glass broken and matches and stuff,” said Seabolt.

NewsChannel 13 also spoke with Lois Munnelly, the woman who first noticed the fire.

“I’m changing the flowers on the altar. So today I went into change, and I noticed the odor of smoke. Wood smoke. So, I thought maybe it’s me,” Munnelly said.

However, she soon realized that it wasn’t just her when two others arrived at the church, and they noticed the smell, too.  

“And it was showing, you know. Yeah and then we noticed the inside door was burnt,” said Munnelly.

The FBI said that they are assisting as needed with the investigation.

Fulton County Sheriff’s Office said that they are not calling this a hate crime yet, as the district attorney will make that decision in the future.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office at 518-736 – 2100.

The Sheriff’s Office is urging individuals in Broadalbin who are near houses of worship to stay vigilant in case copycat incidents occur.