The Idaho State Fire Marshal’s office is offering a $5,000 reward for information about an arson fire in Hailey.
Early on the morning of March 16, an entire downtown building was engulfed in flames. Investigators say arson was the cause.
At the site of the fire on Thursday, Hailey Fire Chief Mike Baledge said the building, co-owned by state Sen. Michelle Stennett (D-Ketchum), had been undergoing renovation.
“This is a devastating loss to the community and the owners of this building,” he said. “This building was going to be turned into affordable workforce housing, which is something that’s critically needed in this valley, and now they’re all back to square one.”
The state fire marshal, Knute Sandahl, and the federal Bureau of Tobacco and Firearms have followed up on dozens of leads and none of them have panned out, Sandahl said Thursday. While there were persons of interest at the beginning of the investigation, that’s no longer the case.
“We are at a roadblock right now,” he said, “and that’s why we need the public’s help with this.”
Sandahl said there could be federal charges in this case. To share information, call the Idaho Arson Award Program hotline: 1-877-75-ARSON.
Find reporter Rachel Cohen on Twitter @racheld_cohen
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