A state police fire marshal has ruled a massive blaze in Monroe County arson. Now police are looking for three men seen running from the scene.
A state police fire marshal walked through a burned-out building at the Foxmoor Village Shopping Center off Route 209 near Marshalls Creek, taking pictures of what was soon to be a furniture store. Part of the building was torn down to allow investigators and fire crews more access.
Officials said the fire was deliberatley set outside of the building in Middle Smithfield Township.
State police saw three men running from the scene as the building was consumed by flames. Instead of chasing the suspects, troopers tried to put the fire out with extinguishers.
Firefighters could not douse the blaze because hyrdrants in the area were dry.
"It's a dry system here. We had to find water to put in the system. There is a little creek behind here, but due to the size of the building and the BTUs we ultimately had another water source come down (Route) 209," said Chief Joseph Quaresimo of the Marshalls Creek Fire Department.
The fire chief said the furniture store was close to opening. The showroom was filled with merchandise which made it harder for fire crews to battle the blaze.
"The fire load was increased quite a bit with the furniture being wood, wicker, plastic," added Chief Quaresimo.
The only other businesses in the shopping center, the Foxmoor Cinemas and Sonny Hawkes Army Navy, were not damaged and were able to open as usual. Sonny Hawkes said it could have been a lot worse. "The fire was blowing this way. They had embers on my roof. They had to soak the roof really good. The whole thing could have went, big time," he said.
Investigators believe the three men seen running from the fire frequent the Foxmoor Village Shopping Center. Anyone with information is asked to call the state police fire marshal unit in Hazleton at 570-459-3890.
A state police fire marshal walked through a burned-out building at the Foxmoor Village Shopping Center off Route 209 near Marshalls Creek, taking pictures of what was soon to be a furniture store. Part of the building was torn down to allow investigators and fire crews more access.
Officials said the fire was deliberatley set outside of the building in Middle Smithfield Township.
State police saw three men running from the scene as the building was consumed by flames. Instead of chasing the suspects, troopers tried to put the fire out with extinguishers.
Firefighters could not douse the blaze because hyrdrants in the area were dry.
"It's a dry system here. We had to find water to put in the system. There is a little creek behind here, but due to the size of the building and the BTUs we ultimately had another water source come down (Route) 209," said Chief Joseph Quaresimo of the Marshalls Creek Fire Department.
The fire chief said the furniture store was close to opening. The showroom was filled with merchandise which made it harder for fire crews to battle the blaze.
"The fire load was increased quite a bit with the furniture being wood, wicker, plastic," added Chief Quaresimo.
The only other businesses in the shopping center, the Foxmoor Cinemas and Sonny Hawkes Army Navy, were not damaged and were able to open as usual. Sonny Hawkes said it could have been a lot worse. "The fire was blowing this way. They had embers on my roof. They had to soak the roof really good. The whole thing could have went, big time," he said.
Investigators believe the three men seen running from the fire frequent the Foxmoor Village Shopping Center. Anyone with information is asked to call the state police fire marshal unit in Hazleton at 570-459-3890.
