Arson

attempted

Friday in

Arlington

Probe continues into Winthrop,

Gaylord fires

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

ARLINGTON -- There is no evidence to suggest that a minor explosion near a lumber yard Friday night in Arlington is related to earlier, more damaging fires in Gaylord and Winthrop, officials say.

However, the explosion was definitely an attempt at arson and is now under investigation by the same authorities who are handling the other fire investigations in Sibley County, according to Arlington Fire Chief Jeff Otto.

The jar, filled with a gas-soaked rag and lit ablaze, was discovered by a Arlington police officer who was patrolling near the Haggenmiller Lumber and Building Center late Friday evening.

The explosion burned a 1x1-foot patch of gravel outside the lumber company. No other property was affected, Otto said.

Furthermore, several freight palettes were found stacked against the building and were covered in flame-accelerating chemicals some 20 feet from where the jar exploded, Otto said.

The incident follows a April 28 fire that claimed the United Farmers Co-op grain elevator in downtown Winthrop and a April 20 fire that destroyed most of the Unidoor warehouse in Gaylord. Arlington is less than 10 miles northwest of Gaylord on State Highway 5.

Like the towns of Fairfax and Gibbon, which are due west of Winthrop, Arlington has also stepped up police patrols of the city both in hopes of catching a possible suspect and to prevent another major fire within city limits.

Otto said investigators aren't aware of any connection to the other fires at this point.

Chief Deputy Bruce Ponath of the Sibley County Sheriff's Department said the Arlington incident didn't cause as much damage as it could have done.

He added the status of the investigations in Gaylord and Winthrop basically haven't changed. The Unidoor fire is still considered suspicious and the nature of the United Farmers Co-op fire is still undetermined.

"We have no idea if it's related to the others or not," said Ponath of the Arlington fire.

By Sunday, the site of the United Farmers Co-op fire in Winthrop was cleared of debris. Most of the salvageable grain had also been removed from the scene and is now being analyzed in laboratories for possible clues, as is evidence collected in Gaylord.

Investigators from the Minnesota State Fire Marshal's Office recently asked the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms to assist in the investigations into the fires.

ATF agents have been helping state and local authorities in interviews and with evidence collection and analysis.

Ponath refused to comment on the progress of the Gaylord and Winthrop investigations, except to say that deputies have been following up on leads as they come in.

Ponath said the Sibley County Sheriff's Department has adopted a protocol for dealing with the fire investigations and said deputies will be watching certain areas around the county with regular checks.

"We're doing what we can," said Ponath. "Hopefully, this doesn't happen again."