Investigators not sure if Menlo fire was arson or accident

Investigators from the State Fire Marshal’s office today gathered samples from a burned out building near Menlo just off I-80 that was undergoing remodeling to become an adult entertainment store. The fire was reported early this morning. Adair County Chief Deputy Brad Newton says state agents will send materials found at the scene to the state crime lab for testing. He says, “Right now, we can’t say it’s arson and we can’t say it’s not. It’s pending the outcome of these tests. The building has been going through extensive remodeling. We don’t know if it was an electrical problem. There was no one in the building at the time it started. There was no one around the building at the time it started.” Newton acknowledges that some people were upset about the nature of the business, but says he’s not aware of any threats against the building or its owners. There have never been any organized protests out here, it’s just been articles in the paper. Newton says the building appears to be damaged beyond recovery.