Investigators Rule Minneapolis Lumberyard Fire Arson, Seek Suspects
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Investigators are asking for help finding the people who intentionally started a fire over the weekend.
They now believe a three-alarm fire at a northeast Minneapolis lumber yard is arson. Surveillance video shows two people going into the Shaw-Stewart Lumber building only minutes before it caught fire.
Minneapolis arson investigators did determine this is a case of arson.
The fire broke out just after 11 pm. Saturday and quickly engulfed the entire building in flames.
"The fire went to three alarms and the crews were on scene until almost 1 o-clock the next afternoon," Sgt. Sean Mckenna said.
The fire destroyed the original building at the lumberyard, but fire crews were able to keep it from spreading to the other 16 buildings on the complex.
"The building did eventually collapse and there was some fire damage to another building," Mckenna said.
Investigators were able to determine the fire had started in a dumpster inside in the building. Surveillance video shows the minutes before the building went up in flames. Officials said someone goes into the building for less than a minute then comes back out.
Later, two people run out of the building just before it starts smoking.
"The quality is not as we might have hoped but it does show persons who are on the premises without permission," Mckenna said. "They entered illegally, they crawled under a gate."
Police said they are continuing to study the surveillance video.
"I realize that they may not be able to make out facial recognition, but we're hoping that someone may talk about this fire," Mckenna said.
Police are also looking at a broken window in the lumberyard's showroom. They said a vodka bottle was used, and there might be a connection to a similar incident one month ago.
If you have any information about the fire or who may have been involved, Minneapolis Police want you to call the arson hotline at 1-800-723-2020 or visit the Arson Hotline web site.
No one was hurt in the fire and Shaw-Stewart does not have an estimate on a dollar amount they lost.
