COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD, MOSES LAKE, WA - The investigation of the Jan. 30 structure fire at Moses Lake Liquor & Wine is ongoing, but Moses Lake police confirmed the cause as robbery and arson. “It was a break-in, and (robbers) stole cash from the office area and then they used gasoline and torched the building,” said store owner Mike Ventura. Police are still looking into suspects and motives, Moses Lake Police Chief Kevin Fuhr said. At this time little is known, but police suspect it was a robbery and break-in. The incident at 1180 N. Stratford Road is very unusual, Fuhr said. “The arsons we have are either (in) fields, stuff like that, maybe fireworks-related, things like that,” he said. “But not like this.” Ventura first purchased the liquor store at 933 N. Stratford Road in June 2012, where Sumo Japanese Restaurant currently resides, he said. The store moved to its current location in January 2014. The interior of the building is a total loss, Ventura said, but the building structure is salvageable. The store is fully-insured, and assuming repair costs don’t outweigh the building cost, it should be running again in six to 10 months. If the entire building is totaled, it will take much longer to return, Ventura said. It was a traumatic incident, he said, and being in a limbo of uncertainty doesn’t help. Beyond his situation, though, he thanks the community for their ongoing support. “I feel bad for all of our customers, besides us,” Ventura said. “Customers are like family to us.” Moses Lake police and fire personnel responded to the blaze just before 11 p.m. The call came in as a burglar alarm, so law enforcement was dispatched first, said Moses Lake Fire Department Capt. Brandon Burns. Responders found smoke swelling from windows and flames at the rear. Firefighters contained the fire to the building, Burns said, and remained at the scene for about four and a half hours. No one was injured. For photos, visit Columbia Basin Herald.