LYNNWOOD – A fire that ripped through a Lynnwood furniture store, causing at least $2 million in damage, was the work of an arsonist, Lynnwood fire investigators announced Monday.
“The fire was extremely hot and when we got there it had grown in intensity much too fast,” Lynnwood Fire Marshal LeRoy McNulty said. “We didn’t find any natural causes. There was no lightning strike or electrical problems. It was arson.”
Federal agents on Friday brought a specially trained dog to nose through the rubble. The dog found evidence that the two-alarm blaze was intentionally set, McNulty said. The evidence was sent off to be analyzed at the crime lab run by the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
While fire investigators declined to say what was discovered at the fire scene, generally arson-detection dogs are trained to sniff out traces of flammable liquids and other materials used to deliberately set fires.
Lynnwood police detectives and ATF investigators have finished combing through the remains of Furniture World, located at 19215 Highway 99.
Investigators will be talking to people and reviewing surveillance video taken from surrounding businesses, said Marybeth O’Leary of the Lynnwood Fire Department.
No suspects have been identified, Lynnwood police spokeswoman Shannon Sessions said.
“They have some possible leads,” store owner Jeff Raymond said.
Police discovered the blaze about 3:30 a.m. Thursday after the store’s security alarm sounded. Firefighters arrived to find the store engulfed in flames and portions of the building collapsed before crews could extinguish the fire.
News that his store was intentionally set on fire didn’t come as a surprise to Raymond.
“It was my gut feeling (it was arson) because of the vandalism two nights before,” said Raymond, who owns the Lynnwood business and a second store in Marysville with his brother, Jim Raymond.
Just days before the fire, Jim Raymond reported to police that someone had vandalized one of the store’s delivery trucks. The driver and passenger windows were smashed, four tires were slashed and the passenger seat was cut up, according to the report filed with Lynnwood police.
Sessions declined to provide additional details about the vandalism report, saying it might be tied into the investigation of the arson.
Jeff Raymond, 40, also declined to say anything more about the vandalism. He said he doesn’t know who would have wanted to destroy his business.
“I don’t want to think it’s personal,” he said.
Raymond hopes the $10,000 reward offered by Arson Alarm Fund will draw information that will lead to whoever lit his business on fire.
Raymond said he is trying to get operations set up in a warehouse near the burned out business. Until then, he’s advising customers to call the store in Marysville.
“It’s really hard talking about it, but everybody has been really supportive and we’re thankful,” he said. “It keeps our family going.”
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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