In wake of late-night furniture store fire, investigators find something interesting

A mysterious middle-of-the-night fire at a furniture store in Hanford was apparently a case of arson, the Hanford Fire Department said.

Someone threw a brick through a window of Oak Liquidators in the 100 block of North Reddington Street and a bottle containing a flammable liquid, said battalion chief Eric Brotemarkle.

Frefighters arrived about 3 a.m. Thursday and found two or three couches on fire about 20 feet inside the store. The overhead sprinkler system had activated, keeping the fire from turning into a conflagration, he said.

Firefighters put out the fire, but smoke and water damage to the furniture was extensive. Investigators found the brick and a broken bottle, he said.

The fire department and Hanford police are investigating.

This story was originally published December 22, 2016 at 3:02 PM with the headline "In wake of late-night furniture store fire, investigators find something interesting."