Kansas Apartment Fire Intentionally Set

Investigators say a fire that destroyed a Kansas apartment complex under construction was intentionally set.

Officials investigating the Nov. 6 blaze at the 96-unit Strasser Village Apartments, in Manhattan, Kansas, said the fire appears to have been started in the northern section of the complex, which was scheduled to open next fall. The luxury complex had been valued at $7 million.

Investigators for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Riley County Police Department said in a release that damage estimates from the fire could exceed $2 million. The complex is located near a retail development, where the roofs of several stores were damaged by flaming debris.

Manhattan Fire Chief Jerry Snyder said the fire caused the largest dollar loss in Manhattan history.