Arson suspected in Melby's fire

A fire destroyed a Columbia Falls home interior store Sunday morning may have been arson, authorities said Monday.

Fire crews began responding to Melby’s Home Interiors on U.S. 2 after receiving a call at 5:40 a.m. Sunday. The blaze destroyed the store’s main building and an outbuilding, including well over $1 million in merchandise and other contents.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said an initial investigation revealed the fire may have been intentionally set.

Photographs of the scene show the fire was initially confined to a small storage building at the rear of the store.

Debbie Melby, co-owner of the 50-year-old business, said the outbuilding wasn’t a likely spot for a spontaneous fire.

“It was a dry storage building, just a little wooden shed,” she said. “There wasn’t electricity out there; we just used it for record storage. It wasn’t because of faulty wiring, we know that.”

The fire spread to the attic of the main store, which was partially involved when crews from around the Flathead Valley responded. The store and its contents are a total loss. Some other outbuildings were undamaged, other than smoke damage.

No one was injured in the fire.

The fire remains under investigation by the Sheriff’s Office, which is asking for assistance from anyone who may have seen activity in the area of the Melby’s store in the early morning hours of Sept. 27. Call 758-5585 to report tips on the possible arson.