Liberty Landing Fire Intentionally Set; 2 Businesses Lost

Someone intentionally set a fire that swept through a Liberty Lake landmark last month, Valley Fire investigators said.

Deputy Fire Marshal Eric Olson said the May 28 fire that gutted the Liberty Landing Tavern and the adjoining Liberty Landing Arcade started in a storage shed behind the tavern. But Olson said he has not determined what sparked the blaze. Several cardboard boxes and empty aluminum cans were stored inside the shed.

A neighbor discovered the fire in the shed about 3:55 a.m. He and another neighbor tried to douse the flames with garden hoses, but the fire spread to the tavern.

“They just didn’t have enough water to stop it,” said Olson, who added the fire had not been burning long before its discovery.

But the flames spread quickly. They had shot through the tavern’s roof about 20 feet into the air and raced through the arcade’s attic when firefighters arrived a few minutes later. The fire caused $100,000 worth of damage to the tavern and arcade.

Locals said the building that housed the businesses and an apartment was built in 1910 and a popular spot among lake residents. Business owners are working with the building’s insurance company to decide whether to rebuild.

The person or persons responsible for setting the fire face first-degree arson charges, Olson said.

Arson blamed for vandalism

Vandals set three small fires in toilets at two Valley parks during a six-day period, causing nearly $2,000 worth of damage.

The fires on May 24 and 30 are being investigated as related incidents, Olson said.

A couple on a morning walk discovered the most recent fires last Friday in two toilets at the Centennial Trail trailhead west of Plante’s Ferry Park.

Sticks and branches piled in the toilets were still smoldering when firefighters arrived about 4:35 a.m., Olson said. The vandals apparently climbed through the skylights to set the fires in the men’s and women’s bathrooms.

Damage was confined to the toilets and paint around them. It was estimated at $1,000.

The fires follow a similar one set six days earlier at Shield’s Park on Upriver Drive. In that incident, vandals set a fire in a handicapped toilet. Damage was estimated at $750. That fire was discovered by county parks department workers when they arrived for work in the morning, Olson said.

Car intentionally torched

A car parked near a Valley mobile home park caught fire late Sunday, apparently the act of an arsonist.

The 1979 AMC, estimated to be worth about $800, was destroyed. Residents of Park Road Mobile Home Park discovered the blaze about 10:20 p.m. and called firefighters.

The car was parked in the 7400 block of East Cataldo.

, DataTimes