GOLDEN VALLEY, Minn. — Investigators have confirmed the fires that damaged the offices of conservative organizations in Golden Valley last January were set intentionally.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) said a certified fire investigator determined that "incendiary fires" were intentionally set on two floors of the building at 8421 Wayzata Boulevard on Jan. 28.
"Fire damage was most prominent for suites 100, 110, 300, 302, and all units within the building received smoke damage of varying severity," the ATF said in a news release.
The building housed offices for the Center of the American Experiment, the Upper Midwest Law Center and Take Charge, all politically conservative organizations, all damaged in the fires.
The Golden Valley Fire Department said the fire on the first floor started with "multiple heat sources, including multiple ignitions." The report says the fire started when a flammable liquid or gas in a container or pipe — specifically gasoline — was ignited. The ATF did not specify the ignition source in its statement to the media on Tuesday.
The ATF said it continues to actively investigate the fires, and asks anyone with information to call the ATF tip line at 888-ATF-TIPS or the Minnesota Arson Reward Tip Line at 800-723-2020.
The affected organizations previously offered a reward for "information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals" who started the fires. A representative for the Upper Midwest Law Center said that reward is now at $100,000.
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