A "suspicious" fire in the alley behind the Salvation Army store torched hundreds of donated books and damaged the electricity meters of the Main Street establishment Saturday night, authorities said.
Brawley firefighters responding to a report of a refuse fire at 8:35 p.m. Saturday found a large stack of books set against the store's exterior rear wall ablaze, a fire department official said. The fire from the stack of books also damaged the store's electricity meters, which left the store without power Monday.
A Brawley Fire official described thge fire as "suspicious" in nature and said the department is currently investigating the cause. The store, which was closed today for the President's Day holiday, is expected to set up generators in order to open for business Tuesday, said Captian Jerry Esqueda.
