Burglary may have preceded Moses Lake fire

MOSES LAKE — A burglary may have preceded the fire that gutted a commercial building in Moses Lake Dec. 6.

The building, located at the intersection of West Broadway Avenue and Fir Street, housed the businesses Edward Jones, First National Home Loans and ShirtBuilders.

Investigators finished the majority of their work and are now waiting for the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab.

“They collected some suspicious samples and sent them to the state,” said Moses Lake police Capt. Dave Ruffin said.

Results from the state crime lab could take up to a month before being returned to the Moses Lake police.

The exact cause of the fire remains unsolved but arson is still suspected.

“It is suspicious but undetermined,” said Moses Lake Fire Chief Tom Taylor. “It means we don’t know what started the fire.”

Police are investigating a possible burglary of the building, which is suspected to have taken place prior to the fire and could be connected.

Fire investigators were approved to enter the building on Dec. 10 after some structural shoring of the roof, according to Taylor. The preventative safety measure was required by a private engineer, provided by an insurance company.

The fire burned between an older flat, tar-roof and one later constructed over it, causing firefighters difficulties in accessing the fire with water.

Investigators from Moses Lake Fire Department worked on determining the cause of the fire with the Moses Lake Police Department.

“It’s in the hands of the police department,” Taylor noted.