Oberlin fire called arson

OBERLIN -- A Kansas state fire marshal said Monday that the fire that destroyed the Centennial Bowl and Red Crown Lounge in Oberlin was deliberately set.

Fire investigator Melvin Dale of Garden City, Kan., told a reporter for the Oberlin Herald that he will have to wait for lab reports before determining how the fire was started. Dale said it would take up to 30 days to finish his report and file it with the Decatur County Sheriff's Office.

Dale is quoted in the Herald, "At this time, I'm going to call the fire arson."

Dale Heyen, a neighbor who lives near the bowling alley, saw flames coming from the bowling alley about 3 a.m. An explosion blew out the glass in the south door and scattered score sheets and shards of glass up to 100 feet away.

The large stained-glass window on the west end of the Red Crown bulged out, but did not break.

The fire investigator said he couldn't find the source of the explosion, but said it could have come from the rapid buildup of heat inside the building. The fire was most intense in the kitchen area, where the steel roof warped and buckled.

Oberlin Fire Chief Bill Cathcart estimated the loss at $750,000. While the bowling lanes were not involved in the fire, he said, most of the interior had heat, water and smoke damage.

Owners Ken Morgan and Mory Zodrow said they have insurance, but probably not enough to rebuild.

The Herald indicates that officials stopped short of saying the fire had been set to cover a burglary. Deputy Randy McHugh said he couldn't tell yet if anything was missing.

The fire investigator said there was no forced entry into the building.

The front door was unlocked, he said, but firefighters had to break into all the other entrances.