After the fire on the Sacred Heart Catholic Church doors were extinguished, firefighters examined the damage. (Courtesy of KGW-TV News 8)

Near dawn on Wednesday morning, June 11th, the front doors were set ablaze at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, at 3926 S.E. 11th Avenue in the Brooklyn neighborhood.

Apparently one or more neighbors saw the flames and called 9-1-1; firefighters from several Southeast Portland fire stations were dispatched to a “Structure Fire – Commercial Building” at 5:08 a.m. When the first-arriving crews pulled up, they radioed back to dispatchers that the center of the wooden front doors was on fire. These historic doors date back to around 1890.

It didn’t take long to extinguish the fire, and determine that it hadn’t spread. The fire was clearly set. Shortly afterward, a surprise – a call came into the 9-1-1 Center from a man who said he wanted to turn himself in for starting the fire.

Portland Police Bureau and PF&R Fire Investigators responded, and determined that the man had been experiencing a “mental health crisis” when he set the fire.

Nevertheless, 45-year-old Dominic Lee Wahl-Stephens was arrested, and was booked in the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at 7:19 a.m. that morning, on one count of Arson in the Second Degree – a Class C Felony.

“Our investigators and police detectives are working collaboratively with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office to determine the best resolution for this case,” a PF&R official told THE BEE. The best resolution apparently was determined to be to release the man back into the community, because that was what took place next.

PF&R Investigators estimated the damage to the doors at $3,000; but the good news was that the doors were not destroyed, and could be repaired. By noon, workers were busy refinishing the historic doors, and they were soon back in place.