LAKE STEVENS — A fire that caused $100,000 in damage to the Lake Stevens Boys & Girls Club has been ruled an arson.
Now investigators want to know who set two portable toilets on fire Monday outside the youth center’s gym on East Lakeshore Drive. A reward of up to $10,000 is offered for tips.
The fire likely had been burning for a matter of minutes before someone noticed the smoke around 2:30 p.m. on Memorial Day, Lake Stevens Assistant Fire Marshal David Petersen said. By then, the plastic walls were engulfed and melting.
“So that can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes to get those completely and fully involved,” Petersen said.
Flames climbed into the eaves of the concrete building. Sprinklers prevented the fire from spreading but soaked the floor of the gym. The entire floor will have to be torn out and redone. The outer shell of the building had smoke and heat damage, too. The loss was estimated at $75,000 for the structure and $25,000 for destroyed equipment.
Lake Stevens police Cmdr. Jeff Beazizo said this week that detectives had identified a couple of people they hoped to interview, who were believed to be in the area at the time. Their names haven’t been released. No arrests have been announced.
Police are seeking photos or videos of the site around the time of the fire, or any information that could lead to suspects. They still hope to track down more witnesses.
Tips can be directed to Lake Stevens police at 425-377-3214. Or call 1-800-55-ARSON.
Caleb Hutton: 425-339-3454; chutton@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @snocaleb.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
