Police arrest guest after motel fire
SANDPOINT — A motel guest from Louisiana was arrested Thursday in connection with a fire at the Quality Inn on Wednesday night.
David Holden Irby, 18, is charged with first-degree arson, Sandpoint Police Chief Mark Lockwood said.
There were no injuries, although the fire forced the evacuation of the motel, in addition to its attendant restaurant and lounge. It also forced a half-block of Fifth Avenue to close briefly.
Lockwood said Irby attracted suspicion as the culprit after reporting the fire to front-desk personnel and then denying that he was the reporting party.
“He made contact with a firefighter that aroused some more suspicion,” Lockwood added, but declined to elaborate on the nature of the contact.
Sandpoint Fire Chief Robert Tyler was not immediately available for comment late Thursday, but has said the fire was confined to the public bathroom on the second floor, above the lobby. There was also smoke damage.
Lockwood said preliminary findings suggest the fire was started in a pull-down paper towel dispenser.
“During an interview, he stated he was involved,” said Lockwood.
Irby was apparently staying at the motel with his father, who is in town on business. Irby is from Bastrop, the seat of Morehouse Parish in northeastern Louisiana.
The suspect is reportedly developmentally delayed and was involved in a prior arson incident outside of the area, according to police.
A damage estimate was not available on Thursday. The property is owned by Sand-Ida Services. The company’s owner, Adrian Cox, said an insurance adjuster is scheduled to evaluate the damage today.
Fire officials said more than 30 motel guests and nearly as many diners and lounge patrons were evacuated when the fire was reported at 6 p.m.
Cox said guests who arrived to check in as the incident unfolded were provided rooms at another Sand-Ida property, the Best Western Edgewater Resort.
“We moved a lot of people, but a fair amount of our guests were able to return back to their rooms,” said Cox.