Woman arrested on arson charges in destructive HuHot fire

(Missoula Current) The Missoula Police Department arrested a woman suspected of setting a shed on fire earlier this week, which ultimately led to the total loss of the former HuHot restaurant.

The department on Friday said it had arrested Amy Birk after she was identified on a surveillance video and interviewed over the incident.

“The detectives were able to obtain surveillance video of a suspect. An off-duty police officer observed a female matching the description of the suspect and notified the detectives,” the department stated in a release.

Birk was interviewed by detectives and arrested for arson. She was booked into the Missoula County Detention Center. No other details were immediately available.

The former restaurant, located on South Brooks Street, went up in flames early Wednesday morning. HuHot occupied the property until it closed last October. The building has sat vacant ever since.

“Due to the intensity of the blaze, firefighters utilized large master stream nozzles to effectively contain the fire,” the department stated. “Despite their efforts, the building was a total loss, with the roof eventually collapsing.”

The fire department said it responded to the blaze with full force including five engines, a ladder truck and a number of support vehicles. Other agencies also responded, including the police department, emergency services and the Missoula Rural Fire District.

Off-duty firefighters were also called in to cover for crews battling the fire.

Arson-trained detectives with the Missoula Police Department and Missoula Fire Investigators launched an investigation, which determined the fire originated in a shed before moving into the main building.