KALISPELL – Fire investigators believe an explosion that happened at a Kalispell business early on Thursday morning was human-caused and not the result of a mechanical failure.
The Kalispell police and fire departments responded to Rick Anderson Snow Jobs and Dirt around 2:30 a.m. on Thursday and arrived to find flames coming from the parking lot.
A surveillance video captured from a nearby business shows a small fire breaking out before an explosion happens. The fire was extinguished quickly and no one was injured. However, several snowmobiles, ATVs, and UTVs were damaged in the blaze.
Investigators are still trying to determine the circumstances surrounding the fire. Business owners say they believe the incident was linked to theft.
"Besides gas — they came to steal gas — things have been stolen in the past, tires, wheels, it happens I don’t know why. Come and take the stuff, just don’t burn our business down, right?" co-owner Dawn Brelje said.
Anyone with information about the fire is asked to contact Crimestoppers at (406) 752-8477 or the Kalispell Police Department at (406) 758-7794.
