Richland Fred Meyer reopens following arson fire

Thanks to the help of staff, the Richland Fred Meyer store reopened Monday following an arson case.

Jeffery Temple, the Director of Corporate Affairs, says the employees rallied together to clean up the mess over the weekend. Then, Temple says after working with several officials, they deemed the store safe to shop in.

"We've been working with the state health department and the fire marshal to make sure the air quality and all the products for sale and the building itself are 100% safe for our customers and for our associates," says Temple.

Temple says the cost of the damage is still under investigation.

Richland police say the arson incident happened on Friday night, after a 35-year-old man is believed to have entered the store and set fire to several items before leaving. No injuries were reported and because of the store's fire suppression system, the damage is believed to have been minimal. Officers later arrested Daniel Wright of West Richland for 1st degree Arson. They are still investigating why the man started the fire.

Officers say they arrested Eliseo James Garcia, 33 of Kennewick for his involvement in Friday's arson, as well as, trafficking stolen property.

The Benton County Auditor's Office in Richland announced it will be closed until further notice because of the heavy smoke smell from the fire. The office is in one of the storefronts attached to the Fred Meyer building. Officials say all the employees have been transferred to the Kennewick or Prosser offices but they hope to reopen the location as soon as possible.

The ballot box in Richland is still available and is being checked regularly. If you need a replacement ballot, you can still go to the Kennewick Annex or the Prosser office.