Arson suspected in dairy bar fire Evidence from Lincoln blaze to be sent to state crime lab for analysis

LINCOLN – A fire Saturday that badly damaged the Snack Shack, a roadside dairy bar, was set intentionally, according to an official of the State Fire Marshal’s Office.

Sgt. Stewart Jacobs, a state fire investigation supervisor, said the fire was the result of an intentional human element. “Some evidence will be submitted to the state crime lab’s arson section for analysis,” he said during an interview Monday.

Jacobs declined to give details about what caused the fire, saying it would hamper the investigation. He is asking anyone who may have been traveling in the West Broadway area early Saturday morning or anyone who may have information to call the State Fire Marshal’s Office arson hot line at (888) 870-6162.

“We are certainly too early in the investigation to make any connection, but we have not ruled anything out,” Jacobs said, responding to a question about the possibility of a connection between Saturday’s arson fire and one in January that destroyed two Main Street buildings.

Lincoln Fire Chief Bill Lee said a motorist traveling past the location reported the fire at 4:45 a.m. Saturday. He said the fire badly damaged about one-third of the small building. He said the fire was under control within an hour. “There was heavy smoke and water damage,” the chief said.

Mike Carney owned the 30-year-old dairy bar located on heavily traveled West Broadway in Lincoln. He has insurance but said it is not enough to cover the damage from the fire. He estimated damage at $80,000.

The Snack Shack, a seasonal business, closed for the year on Labor Day. “There was no power, gas or water to the building,” said Carney. “There were no supplies [paper goods], fuel or matches in the building. There was nothing in the building except equipment,” such as an ice cream machine and fryolators.

Carney said the last time he was in the building was early Wednesday morning to set mousetraps. “The next time I was at the Snack Shack was 5:30 or 6 a.m. Saturday when the fire happened,” he said.

The owner of the building said he had put the property up for sale recently. The asking price was $49,000. He said his daughter Shana, an accounting major at the university, and his son Jonathan, a high school senior who plans to go to college in Florida, had been managing and running the business.

Carney said he was not sure whether he would rebuild. “It’s up to my kids and then I will make a sound business decision,” he said.

Carney lost another business, Mister Mike’s Restaurant, to a fire five years ago.