Police looking for arsonist who burned former livestock auction building

This story has been updated to add new information.

COLDWATER — Police and fire are looking for help finding the arsonist who destroyed the former Coldwater Livestock Exchange stockyard.

A Coldwater Police officer on patrol at 2:34 a.m. Wednesday spotted what police said was a freshly set fire and radioed 911 for fire services.

The building at 100 Industrial Ave. was formerly used as a stockyard and auction until around 2005.

Coldwater Fire Chief Dave Schmaltz said the vacant building was used to store equipment and large totes of motor oil.  “The old wooden structure, combined with the flammable liquids, caused the fire to spread quickly.” He declared the structure a total loss.

Police reported recent incidents of vandalism in the area and requested the public to report suspicious activities to 911.

The Quincy Fire Department, with automatic mutual aid, Lifecare Ambulance, and the Coldwater Department of Municipal Services, responded to the scene to assist.

Fire units were on scene until 10:45 a.m. extinguishing the fire.

Only the sheet metal stockyard building was destroyed. Other buildings on the property, vacant warehouses, and a truck repair center were not damaged.

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Public Safety Director Joe Scheid requested anyone with information about this fire contact the Coldwater Police Department at 517-278-4525.

(This story was updated to add new information and photo.)

Contact Don Reid: dReid@Gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Coldwater Daily Reporter: Police looking for arsonist who burned former livestock auction building