Display outside of Longmont boutique set on fire

LONGMONT, Colo. — Longmont Police are investigating a potential arson outside of a Main Street business on Wednesday night.

Surveillance video from inside A Florae appears to show someone walking up with a lighter, starting a fall display outside the store on fire, and then casually walking away.

Video from across the street captured customers and employees at nearby businesses racing over with cups of water and fire extinguishers before firefighters arrived.

“If the man across the street with the fire extinguisher didn’t get here when he did, by the time the fire department actually showed up, it would have been really bad,” Rachel Hunter, A Florae’s owner, said.

Hunter owns the boutique, and said she often puts elaborate displays in front of the business to draw customers in.

“We do it to grab attention, right now anything is helpful for a small business,” she said. “This year has been really tough.”  

Hunter said she was shocked to review her surveillance video and see that the fire was not an accident.

“I was just like ‘oh my God,’” Hunter said. “The casualness of just strolling and lighting, this could not be this person’s first time.”

She said the display took hours to assemble, and said it was painful to watch it go up in flames in mere minutes.

Hunter is thankful for the community support and said she’s thankful the fire was put out before spreading to the homes of three tenants who live upstairs.

“You just have to stay grounded and be like okay, we never thought this was going to happen, it happened. So, what can we do moving forward that really sets up for success in protecting us and therefore can also protect our neighbors,” said Hunter.

The building did suffer damage, according to Hunter, and they’re waiting to find out how much repairs will cost.