Early this morning, the memorial for Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. caught on fire and burned to the ground:

Police say candles were the likely cause of a fire that destroyed the memorial Tuesday morning, according to KMOV.

The tribute to the 18-year-old, who was fatally shot Aug. 9 by Officer Darren Wilson, was created shortly after his death and marked a spot near where he was killed.

A memorial for Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., was destroyed in a fire that police say was likely sparked by candles.
A memorial for Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., was destroyed in a fire that police say was likely sparked by candles.

A pile of burned ashes has replaced the mountain of stuffed animals, flowers, votive candles and signs, according to photos of the ruins.

Luckily, a larger memorial several feet away was not destroyed during the overnight fire, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Some residents who gathered by the burned site thought the fire was set by someone early Tuesday. They claimed they smelled gasoline in the area.

Many were working to replace the sentimental items and rebuild the memorial.

Objects that were in the memorial are being collected by Washington University’s library, according to the broadsheet. The materials will be on display online, and will be free to view.

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