Food pantry fire deemed suspicious; reward offered

"We are certain unknown parties set fire to a pile of cardboard boxes deposited in an outside bin next to the Southeast corner of the Pantry" said Butler Police Chief Jim Garnett, in a joint statement with Mayor Don Malan last week. As the Butler Police Department continues its investigation of the September 25th fire, the Mayor announced that the city of Butler is offering a $500 reward for solid information leading to the arrest and conviction of person or persons responsible for setting the fire at 709 W. Ohio street.
Although Butler and Adrian fire departments extinguished the fire in very short order, the loss of the new refrigeration/freezer unit plus nearly 15,000 pounds of perishable food made the total loss close to $70,000. Thanks to a generous outpouring from all over the area, the pantry is again mostly operational after being closed just three days due to the fire. 
Donations are still needed and may be dropped off at the pantry or call 660-679-3951 to find out what types of donated items would be of greatest benefit at this time. Anyone with information regarding the September 25th fire should call the Tips Hotline at 660-200-2000.