Charlo fire is second suspected arson case

Ethan SmithLeader Staff

The Lake County Sheriff's office is looking into another suspected arson in Charlo, after the old gym was apparently set on fire Saturday afternoon — the second suspicious fire in less than a week.

Fire crews were called to the scene shortly after 4 p.m. Saturday, and managed to contain the blaze, but the old gym at the school suffered significant fire and water damage to the exterior and interior, including the roof. An appraiser for the district's insurance company will evaluate the damage, but an estimate was not immediately available.

The old gym is still used for team practices and workouts, but Charlo basketball and volleyball games, and most other indoor recreation activities, take place in the main gym next door.

The fire at the old gym comes less than a week after a fire was intentionally set at the Take 5 Cafe in downtown Charlo, apparently to cover a burglary in which the thief or thieves made off with two safes. And with that, Sheriff's detectives are concerned that the two fires are related, and deputies and detectives were busy this week interviewing residents and talking to business owners to see if anybody saw something suspicious.

The fire at the gym apparently started in a plastic trash can next to the outside wall, Detective Dan Yonkin said, and he's concerned that it could have been started by the same person who lit the cafe on fire.

"Right now I would label the fire as 'highly suspicious' in the wake of the Take 5 fire," he said. "The fact that they happened so close together is troubling."

Charlo volunteer firefighters responded to the cafe just before 1 a.m. the night of June 26, and were able to contain the blaze, but the cafe is still closed due to smoke and fire damage. Detectives believe the fire was set to cover up the theft of two safes that night.

Yonkin said they have some suspects in that case, but are still investigating it. It was the second time someone broke into the cafe since it opened last summer.

Yonkin and deputy Erwin Lobdell walked door-to-door on Monday, interviewing business owners and residents to see if they saw anything suspicious regarding either fires.

"It was very helpful to talk to people. I'm still pursuing some leads, but we got some good information out of it," Yonkin said of the interviews they conducted all over town.

For Take 5 Cafe owner Ron Lords and his family, it's a frustrating situation because the cafe is considered a crime scene, and their insurance investigator has told them not to touch anything until the company can conduct its own investigation.

"The insurance adjuster and insurance fire investigator are also looking into it, in addition to the Sheriff's office and their investigation team, so my insurance company told me not to touch anything," Lords said. "I can't even clean up the place at this point, so we don't know when we'll be able to reopen."

Lords opened the cafe last summer, almost a year to the day the fire was started, and together with his wife Becki, they built the cafe into a family place where Charlo residents could come and eat lunch or grab a bite after a basketball game. The cafe was robbed several months ago, but with the arson, the town has lost a family restaurant - something the Lords took pride in providing to the small town.

"We opened June 29 of last year, and didn't even make it to the one-year anniversary. Now people don't have that opportunity to eat out like they did," Lords said.

He said he believes his cafe might have been a target because he lives about 20 minutes away, in Moiese.

"It could be that when the owner doesn't live on the premises, it just makes it an easier target," he said. "It's just amazing to me that that would be in the case in a small town."

The Lords' insurance company will cover the building damage, but is doesn't cover the loss of business, the stolen money, or lost wages for employees who are temporarily out of work.

"The only real coverage is for the fire damage, but that won't cover everything. And it costs taxpayers money when they have to do an investigation like this," Lords said.

Despite the setback, Lords is keeping his chin up, and hopes to reopen in the near future.

"The important thing is that nobody was hurt, especially the firefighters who came to help. It's a building that got burned, but buildings can be rebuilt," he said. "Lives are a lot more difficult to replace."

Anyone with information about either case can call Crimestoppers at 883-7309, and are eligible for a cash reward, or can contact the Sheriff's office at 883-7301.