SANDPOINT, Idaho – The Army Surplus 1 store in downtown Sandpoint was destroyed by fire on the evening of July 4.
It was originally reported that an errant firework had started the blaze that consumed the entire 16,000 square foot structure. But after the Idaho Fire Marshal and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) arrived to investigate and reviewed surveillance footage, it was determined to be the result of an arsonist. It remains unknown at this time if the Army Surplus 1 store was the target or if it was a crime of opportunity. Either way, the results are devastating.
The owner of the business Cornel Rasor said he was home celebrating the holiday with his family when he received a call about the fire at 10:19 p.m. from the Sandpoint Police Department. At that time, Rasor was told that the fire department believed they had extinguished the fire, but by the time he arrived on scene the entire structure was ablaze and the focus was on containing it from spreading to other structures.
“As it turns out, the arsonist set the outside of the building on fire and they got that out,” shared Rasor. “But what they didn’t realize is that it creeped up and got under the eaves into the section where all the sawdust was from decades and decades ago when the building used to be a meat locker and there are three foot thick walls filled with sawdust for insulation. Once the fire caught some of that, it just exploded.”
Rasor, who worked for the original owner of the Army Surplus 1 store for 41 years, had only owned the business for a little over two years. “I’ve been there 43 years and we were in that building for 33 years,” he stated. “I have worked there since I was 25-years-old.”
While insurance will cover the contents of the business inventory, the building was leased by Rasor and appears to have been uninsured, so no funds will be readily available to rebuild the structure. This means he will be in search of a new location to re-open.
More devastating was the personal losses. Rasor shared that he recently finished building his home and had not yet relocated the personal belongings which had been stored at the shop. “We lost everything,” he shared. “We lost our clothing, we lost our kitchen stuff, my wife lost her $10,000 Gibson guitar, I lost my piano, just all of our personal stuff, her inheritance, all gone.”
After conversations with his insurance company, it looks like none of the family’s personal items were insured and therefore a complete loss without means to replace.
Rasor won the recent Republican primary race for an Idaho house seat that is currently held by Sage Dixon. He intends to continue his bid for the legislature in the November general election.
“My plans are to rebuild and I am going to continue to run for office,” assured Rasor. “But it’s going to take some time to rebuild. Settling with insurance and finding a new place to go. Then it’s buying new inventory and starting over.”
Rasor says the police and fire department were very good and did all they could. “They did the best they could to save the store and then they had to go on defensive mode to save the businesses next door. There were a bunch of volunteers there, they did a fabulous job. That old building just burned like a torch.”
Sandpoint Mayor Jeremy Grimm released a statement on July 5, “This incident will be challenging to the property owner, and our thoughts are with him and his family. Beyond the loss of personal and business property, the resulting void left in our downtown will not be easily replaced. I cannot express enough my gratitude to the hard-working men and women of the Sandpoint Fire and Police Departments, who protect and serve our community around the clock. On behalf of the City of Sandpoint, we thank all who responded to our need overnight. Finally, thank you to our residents and visitors who respected and followed directions, allowing our professionals to do their job during an intense situation.”
So far, none of the tips coming in to help identify the arsonist have panned out.
If you recognize the individual in the video clips posted below, please contact the Sandpoint Police Department at 208-265-1482.
The Idaho Fire Marshal is offering a $5,000 reward. You can provide information anonymously by using their tip line at 1-877-75- ARSON.
