Arson suspected in furniture store fire

LYNNWOOD — A fire that gutted a furniture store Thursday and caused more than $2 million in damage has been ruled arson, Lynnwood fire officials said this morning.

Fire investigators have finished collecting evidence at Furniture World and determined that someone intentionally set the fire to the business.

Federal agents were called in Friday to help sift through the rubble. A specially trained dog found evidence of arson, said LeRoy McNulty, Lynnwood Fire Marshal.

The evidence was sent to the crime lab run by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. McNulty would not say what was sent, but in general, arson-detection dogs are trained to sniff out traces of flammable liquids and other materials used to deliberately set fires.

Fire investigators will work with Lynnwood police detectives to try to track down whoever caused the fire, McNulty said.

The blaze at the store, located at 19215 Highway 99, was discovered by Lynnwood police, who were summoned about 3:30 a.m. Thursday by a security alarm in the store.

When fire crews arrived, the building was engulfed in flames. Crews fought the blaze from outside because it was too dangerous to enter the building, said Marybeth O’Leary, a spokeswoman for the Lynnwood Fire Department.