Owner of St. Cloud Press Bar arrested on suspicion of arson

The owner of St. Cloud's historic Press Bar and Parlor has been arrested on suspicion of intentionally setting fire to his establishment, which burned to a total loss in February, according to federal investigators.

Andy Welsh, of St. Joseph, Minn., is being held in the Stearns County jail on suspicion of arson, though he has not yet been charged, according to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Fire erupted in the 100-year-old two-story downtown establishment in the morning of Feb. 17, leaving damage estimates exceeding $1 million.

At the time, the bar released a public statement praising firefighters for their quick work. "We are thankful that no one was in the building at the time of the fire," read the statement. "We've gained many great employees, friends and memories there over the years. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers."

In the aftermath, ATF called in a specialty team of fire specialists that helped local fire crews and law enforcement dig through the rubble to determine the source of the blaze.

On Saturday, the ATF announced that investigators "collectively made the determination today, Feb. 29, classifying the fire that destroyed the Press Bar and Parlor as incendiary, an intentionally set fire."

"Investigators will not release further information regarding the case due to the continuing investigation," reads a statement from the ATF.

Fire crews responded to the fire around 2:40 a.m., and it took about 40 crew members to extinguish the blaze. The building was torn down afterward.

A few days later, the ATF called in a national response team to assist in reconstructing the scene of the fire, identifying the location of origin, conducting interviews and sorting through rubble. These teams consist of forensic chemists, explosives enforcement officers and other veteran special agents from across the country with experience in "post-blast" and fire-origin expertise, along with a dog trained to sniff out accelerants like gasoline in the rubble.

It's rare for the ATF to call in these types of teams; the last time one came to Minnesota was in 2004.

The ATF said at the time about 30 agents would work alongside the St. Cloud Fire Department, the St. Cloud Police Department and the State Fire Marshal's Office.

Andy Mannix • 612-673-4036