Greenwood commercial fire ruled arson
SEATTLE -- Fire investigators said a three-alarm fired that gutted a commercial building in the city's Greenwood neighborhood last week was intentionally set.
Officials believe the blaze was set inside the coffee shop in the building near the intersection of 85th and Greenwood on Friday morning.
Investigators have not made any arrests, and they have no suspects in the case.
Damage to the building is estimated at $2 million. The one-story building contained three restaurants, a coffee shop, a theatre and a beauty school.
The building is owned by the Taproot Theatre, but the organization's facilities were not seriously damaged. Some of the other businesses sustained heavy damages, however, including the Pho Tic-Tac Restaurant.
Phung Hoang, whose family owns the Szechuan Bistro, said her family's livelihood had been reduced to charred debris in a matter of hours.
"I just couldn't believe it that the business is completely gone," she said. "What am I going to do next?"
Scott Nolte, who owns the building and the neighboring Taproot Theatre, was devastated, seeing the building riddled with smoke and water damage.
"You go home to feed the family and your place of work is gone. It's just not there," he said. "We want it back. We just don't want it to be a black hole in the middle of such a vibrant block."
Officials believe the blaze was set inside the coffee shop in the building near the intersection of 85th and Greenwood on Friday morning.
Investigators have not made any arrests, and they have no suspects in the case.
Damage to the building is estimated at $2 million. The one-story building contained three restaurants, a coffee shop, a theatre and a beauty school.
The building is owned by the Taproot Theatre, but the organization's facilities were not seriously damaged. Some of the other businesses sustained heavy damages, however, including the Pho Tic-Tac Restaurant.
Phung Hoang, whose family owns the Szechuan Bistro, said her family's livelihood had been reduced to charred debris in a matter of hours.
"I just couldn't believe it that the business is completely gone," she said. "What am I going to do next?"
Scott Nolte, who owns the building and the neighboring Taproot Theatre, was devastated, seeing the building riddled with smoke and water damage.
"You go home to feed the family and your place of work is gone. It's just not there," he said. "We want it back. We just don't want it to be a black hole in the middle of such a vibrant block."