Two teenagers suspected of starting a fire that severely burned a building in Kalispell were arrested Tuesday, according to authorities.
A 15-year-old male from Lakeside and a 16-year-old male from Marion were taken into custody and charged with arson, the Kalispell Police Department announced. They were placed in the Flathead County Juvenile Detention Center on Tuesday following an investigation.
On Monday afternoon, fire crews responded to a structure fire on Second Avenue West in Kalispell. When officers and fire department personnel arrived, they found a garage fully engulfed in flames. The responding fire departments extinguished the flames with no damage to neighboring buildings, according to officials.
The structure that was heavily burned was the original carriage house for the main residence and was used as a cold storage building. The building was reported to be constructed in 1903 and was listed in Kalispell’s historic registry.
The Kalispell Police Department initiated an investigation into the cause of the fire, and multiple witnesses came forward. During the investigation, three teenage males were detained and transported to the Kalispell Police Department. Officers determined that two of the three teenagers were involved in setting the fire.
The garage appears to be a complete loss and values are still to be determined, according to the Kalispell Fire Department.
Assistance was received from Evergreen Fire Department, Smith Valley Volunteer department and Flathead Electric.