Pictured is a person of interest in regard to two fires set early Monday in the village of Brocton.

BROCTON — Nearly 10 years to the day of a major fire intentionally set to the Tri-Church Parish on Nov. 3, 2013, the same church appeared to be the target of another arson attempt earlier this week.

Early Monday morning, two fires appeared to have been intentionally set in the village of Brocton at a pair of churches, the Tri-Church Parish and at the Fellowship Church located on School Street near Brocton Central School.

Brocton Fire Chief Bill Hussey stated that he and a Chautauqua County sheriff’s deputy visited Brocton Central School to review footage of its security system and saw a person deliberately setting a fire out front of the Fellowship Church, at approximately 4:30 a.m. Monday. The culprit was observed attempting to spread the fire with debris thrown onto the fire.

“You could see the flames shoot 3 to 4 feet in the air,” Hussey said.

Because of rain around the time of the incidents, the school’s security footage was not clear enough to identify the perpetrator. However, the wet conditions likely played a role in the fires not spreading even further.

“Luckily they went out by themselves, because nobody called us until the morning,” Hussey said. He stated the fire department arrived to the Fellowship Church around 7:30 a.m., Monday, and the fire had gone out.

Also early Monday morning, a fire was set in the entryway to the Tri-Church Parish. Hussey learned of the Tri-Church Parish fire on Tuesday.

The Tri-Church Parish fire caused damage to the sidewalk under the canopy at the back entrance. Hussey was surprised and relieved that it did not spread to the structure itself, which was rebuilt entirely after a 2013 fire destroyed the previous location on Main Street in Brocton.

“I don’t know why it didn’t take off, but it didn’t. We were lucky there,” Hussey said. “If that had taken off, we would’ve had two church fires going at the same time.”

Daniel Frey was sentenced to four to eight years in state prison on a conviction of third-degree arson for burning down the Tri-Parish Church on East Main Street in Brocton back in 2013.

The Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Department has been reviewing security footage from the nearby Country Fair store in hopes of identifying the culprit.

“I’m sure they will get to the bottom of it. They are checking all the cameras,” said Hussey. “I hope so.”

Asked if the Sheriff’s Office believed the same person was responsible for setting both fires early Monday, Sheriff James Quattrone said, “While we are not positive at this point, we believe it is likely.”

In a news release, the Sheriff’s Office said it has “been working with representatives of the churches and is actively pursuing these cases. The public is encouraged to contact law enforcement if they observe suspicious activity around places of worship.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Sheriff’s Office at 716-753-4232 and ask for Investigator Walter or Deputy Karlstrom.