MANHATTAN – Investigators in Riley County continue to investigate a Thursday morning structure fire at a Manhattan apartment building under construction.

There is a high probability that the fire at 801 Moro Street was set intentionally by an unknown subject(s), according to a media release from Riley County Police.

Just after 5 a.m., on Thursday, the Manhattan Fire Department was dispatched to the intersection of 8th and Moro Street and found a three-story apartment building under construction with fire showing from multiple floors, according to a media release.

The fire reached a second alarm before it was contained within approximately one hour.

The building was an approximately 8,000-square-foot, three-story apartment building under construction.

When finished, the building would contain 6 apartments with 17 bedrooms with an estimated value of more than $1 million.
The owner is listed as Fieldhouse Development Inc. and RF Benchmark Construction is the general contractor.

Investigators from the Manhattan Fire Department, the Riley County Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,

Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas Office of the State Fire Marshal conducted the origin and cause investigation.
Officials are now investigating this fire as arson.

Officers ask that anyone with information on these crimes contact the Manhattan Riley County Crime Stoppers by phone at 785-539-7777 or online at www.ManhattanRileyCountyCrimeStoppers.com.