Lumberyard fires thought to be arson

? Two fires that did $2 million worth of damage to two lumberyards owned by the same Clay County family were arson, investigators said Saturday.

Firefighters battle a four-alarm fire at Schutte Lumber in Kansas City, Mo. The fire was reported early Sunday.

The first fire was reported at 10:33 p.m. Oct. 6 at Porter’s Building Center in Kearney, which was owned by the Mark Porter family. The second fire at Porter’s lumberyard on U.S. 69 in Mosby was reported just before 1 a.m. Tuesday.

No one was injured.

A third fire, at Schutte Lumber in Kansas City, Mo., was reported early Sunday. Firefighters battled the four-alarm blaze that covered about half of the three-block lumberyard.

Paul Vito, a special agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said Saturday that the earlier fires were believed to be related, and both were arson. Investigators haven’t connected the most recent fire to the other two.

An arson task force including federal, state, county and local officers has been established to continue the investigation.

Vito said investigators had received about 150 leads but had not pinpointed any suspects.