Police trying to ID fire suspect

The hunt continues for a male suspect believed to have been involved in a fire that broke out at a business on West Center Street in Kalispell early Thursday morning.

According to Kalispell Police Department Detective Jim Wardensky, video surveillance from Rick Anderson’s Snow Jobs and Dirt Stuff depicts a white male fleeing the scene at around 2:30 a.m. when the fire allegedly started, resulting in around $40,000 worth of damage to snowmobiles, four-wheelers and other off-road vehicles on the property.

According to Wardensky, the footage then shows the van turning around and coming back down the street toward the business, at which time the suspect jumped back out of the van and ran toward the fire.

The van continued on down the street as the man ran from the scene a second time. Additional video footage shows the same man walking down the street carrying what Wardensky believed to be a gas can and some kind of hose.

Wardensky said detectives are still attempting to identify the suspect and ask that anyone with information about the incident contact crimestoppers at 752-8477 or Wardensky at 758-7794.

Reporter Mary Cloud Taylor can be reached at 758-4459 or mtaylor@dailyinterlake.com.