PROVO, Utah — A 300-watt lamp left on after a rehearsal started a massive fire that destroyed the historic Provo Tabernacle in December, according to a report released Thursday.
A three-month investigation by the Provo Police Department found the fire began in the Tabernacle attic, where a lamp on a wood speaker was left on after a dress rehearsal for a choir concert late Dec. 16.
Police said it was largely human error that caused the blaze, first by leaving the lamp unattended, then by turning off the fire alarm instead of calling authorities. Investigators also found that smoke detectors weren't properly placed around the building.
The report said the fire quickly spread, fueled by Styrofoam arches that carried the flames into the choir loft and throughout the building.
Austin Williams, an off-duty Provo police officer working security at the Tabernacle that night, silenced the alarm rather than calling authorities, the report said. He didn't realize it was a fire alarm. The blaze then raged for more than an hour until smoke was visible, and Williams called the fire department.
The building had octagonal corner towers and originally had a central tower that rose 147 feet.
It dated to the 1890s, and was as a meeting house for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The tabernacle also was used for cultural and choir performances and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.