Fire Chief: Kings Inn Fire ‘Suspicious’, Reward Offered

WATAB TOWNSHIP -- Authorities are calling the fire at the former Kings Inn in Watab Township suspicious.

Sauk Rapids Fire Chief Jason Fleming says there is an arson reward of up to $5,000 for any tips that lead to an arrest in the case. You can either call the Benton County Sheriff's Office or the Arson Hotline at 1-800-723-2020.

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The fire call came in just after 9:30 Sunday morning when passersby saw flames coming through the roof. Fleming says they attacked the fire defensively and firefighters never entered the structure. The building has been abandoned for years and was structurally unstable already. Their biggest priority was to keep the water used to fight the fire from getting into the lake, which they did.

The remains of the building were pushed in by a bulldozer for public safety.