The historic but recently-troubled El Rancho Motel went up in flames Tuesday, prompting a multi-agency firefighting response in Barstow and roughly a quarter-mile of Main Street to be closed.
And now, Barstow Police Department is investigating the inferno for a potential man-made, criminal origin.
“We’re not prepared to call it an arson yet, but we’re going to call it a ‘suspicious fire,’ ” BPD Captain Chris Kirby told the Daily Press shortly after 8 a.m. Wednesday. He said an investigator was still on the scene at that time, but awaiting lab results for evidence from the blaze may delay any solid determinations.
“We are working with our investigators with bomb and arson and we’re trying to determine whether it’s actual arson or not,” Kirby said. “I’m thinking it’s going to take a bit of time — a couple weeks, or maybe even longer — to determine what the evidence is really telling us.”