Fire at memorial to slain teen adds to tensions in Ferguson, Missouri

By Carey Gillam (Reuters) - City leaders in Ferguson, Missouri, faced heightened tensions on Tuesday after an early morning fire destroyed a makeshift memorial honoring the black teenager killed last month by a white police officer. The memorial for 18-year-old Michael Brown that caught fire was erected in a grassy area alongside the road where Brown died. A larger memorial, which runs down the center lane of the road, was untouched by the fire. Still, neighborhood residents who have been protecting and building on the memorials since Brown was killed Aug. 9 were angered by the damage, and some were accusing city officials of not working hard enough to put the blaze out. The cause of the fire was unknown, said Police Chief Tom Jackson in a statement. A police officer was first on the scene and tried to put out the fire but failed. That officer alerted the fire department, which extinguished the blaze, Jackson said. Mayor James Knowles III said that the fire was small and possibly started accidentally. Candles were mixed in with stuffed animals and other items on the site. Still, he said, it is "a horrible thing to happen to a memorial meant to commemorate Mr. Brown's life. It is going to be hurtful to many people." Knowles said he is worried that community unrest could again spiral out of control. "Tensions are running high," he said. "We're taking it very seriously." Also Tuesday, the city said a festival planned for this weekend would be postponed indefinitely due to safety concerns. "This is just a very unsecure event," Knowles said. "We want to make sure everybody is safe." Ferguson, a community of about 21,000 mostly black residents, has been embroiled in protests since Brown was shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson after Wilson asked the teen to move out of a street where he and a friend were walking. In an ensuing altercation, Brown was shot multiple times. Protests have persisted in and around Ferguson since Brown's death. And protesters have pledged continued civil unrest until Wilson is arrested and charged in Brown's death. Many have called for Knowles to step down as mayor and for the firing of Jackson as well. City leaders met with residents Monday night to discuss complaints about alleged discriminatory policing and an unjust court system. Many more public meetings are planned over the next several weeks. "We are trying to be responsive... sensitive to their feelings," Knowles said. "People want to be able to see change and move forward." On Thursday, Michael Brown's parents and civil rights leaders are planning a press conference in Washington to reiterate demands that the Justice Department take over the investigation into Brown's killing and bring charges against Wilson. (Reporting by Carey Gillam in Kansas City; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)