The July 14 fire that destroyed four buildings in downtown Exira is now being treated as a criminal investigation. Suspicious facts surrounding the fire led investigators to believe it was arson. Audubon County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy, David Beane, says many details will not be released, but he did confirm where the fire started.
The fire was discovered at Jerry’s Joint Bar that Friday night at approximately 2:30 a.m. Beane says the State Fire Marshal’s Office and Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation are assisting the Sheriff’s Office in the investigation.
Investigators are still searching for leads and do not have any persons of interest at this time. Anyone with information regarding the fire is asked to contact the Audubon County Sheriff’s Office at 712-563-2631 or the Arson Hotline at 800-532-1459. Beane says they are not looking for any specific type of evidence.
During the night of the fire, the blaze spread westwards from the bar and severely damaged Gabby’s and Crabby’s Place gift shot, an apartment and psychiatrist’s office. More than 70 firefighters from at least 27 different fire department assisted at the scene. No injuries were caused due to the fire.
