[Vision2020] Sojourners' Alliance significantly damaged by fire

[Tom Hansen]

Courtesy of today’s (December 19, 2017) Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

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Sojourners' Alliance significantly damaged by fire
Resident of transitional housing facility charged with arson

The Sojourners' Alliance building in Moscow went up in flames early Monday morning, and the man believed to be responsible for the fire is behind bars.

By the time firefighters with the Moscow Volunteer Fire Department arrived at the transitional housing facility on North Van Buren Street around 12:30 a.m., there was heavy fire on the building's second floor, Fire Chief Brian Nickerson said.

Nickerson said the living room, kitchen and hallway sustained significant fire damage, and most of the second floor was damaged from smoke and the downstairs received water damage.

He said firefighters were on scene for about two hours.

About half a dozen male residents were inside the building when the fire started, Nickerson said. No one was injured.

Matthew Rieche, a 34-year-old Sojourners' resident, was charged with felony first-degree arson. According to an initial determination of probable cause affidavit, Rieche said he was coming down from recent methamphetamine use and began to hear voices, but he could not really understand them. He said in the affidavit he barricaded the living room door with several furniture items because he did not want people to enter, and then he lit the arm of the couch using a lighter because "he wanted to get out."

According to the affidavit, Rieche told police the fire grew quickly so he used a fire extinguisher he grabbed prior to entering the living room, but he said the fire extinguisher was not effective, and he then jumped out the window.

Rieche said he knew other residents were inside the building but he did not attempt to get them out or call the fire department after starting the fire, according to the affidavit. He said he was not trying to hurt anyone in the house.

The affidavit said Rieche was later contacted walking in the area of the Corner Club by a police officer. He was allegedly carrying a fire extinguisher and had burns on his arm. Rieche was transported to Gritman Medical Center and after medical staff cleared him, he was driven to the Moscow Police Department to be interviewed.

Rieche waived his right to a speedy preliminary hearing, according to Monday's court minutes. He is scheduled for a status hearing at 10 a.m. Jan. 4 in Latah County 2nd District Court. His bond is set at $100,000.

Sojourners' Executive Director Steve Bonnar said he does not know why Rieche allegedly set fire to the building.

"I have no idea," Bonnar said. "He was not in any trouble with us."

Rieche was arrested in September on suspicion of malicious injury to property and unlawful entry charges after using a brick to shatter the windows of five businesses near Main Street in Moscow. He pleaded guilty to malicious injury to property Oct. 16, according to the Idaho Repository.

Bonnar said the building is temporarily shut down and the power is out. He said it is yet to be determined if the building will be repaired or torn down, but the sense is it is repairable, Bonnar said. He said Sojourners' will not accept anyone else into the program at this time as a result of the damage.

Bonnar said the Gritman Foundation paid for hotel rooms for the five Sojourners' residents who were displaced by the fire. Sojourners' will pay for the rooms going forward, Bonnar said.

He said there is no timeline for building repairs and moving residents back in.

Bonnar said Family Promise of the Palouse is allowing Sojourners' to use three of its offices in the meantime.

"Certainly we have great sympathy and concern for this tragedy and feel that, particularly at this time of year, we probably are able to help in some ways and we're hoping that we're able to be good partners with Sojourners,' " said Bruce Pitman, FPoP board of directors' president. "They've been very helpful to us over the years, so we hope that we can meet some of those very specific needs that they have."

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Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" 
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho
  
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