I dont think the two fires that we had so close together (bowling alley and the bagel store) were arson. I think they were just accidents.

The news said that there was an employee in the bagel store last night. They'd just turned on the ovens and some other equipment when the place started to fill with smoke. I'm guessing something either malfunctioned, or there was something flammable near the ovens or near some other heat source.

I dont think they had sprinklers in the store or the other businesses in that strip mall. Might not have been so bad if they'd had sprinklers.

I think the bagel store was old enough that it didnt have the fire supression system on it's ovens that I've seen in the few restaurants I've worked in.

I'm really sad about the Bagel Bin burning down, but it was showing it's age, so hopefully they'll rebuild and get a shiny new building. Hopefully it'll be back up soon...otherwise all of her employees there have now lost their jobs.

They were the ones who supplied all the grocery stores in town with bagels, and they supplied the Krispy Kremes stores with bagels too. No more good bagels anywhere in town until they (hopefully) rebuild. I think at least their delivery trucks survived. They usually park them across the parking lot. They're probably a little icy. They had to close the street because of all the ice that's in the street below the bagel store. Enough that I think this fire is going to affect more than just the places that burned up with it. At least till it gets warm enough to melt the ice.