Lincoln nonprofit damaged in suspected arson, but they’re ‘determined to come back’

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Just after 6 p.m. Thursday, a fire broke out in a courtyard near the intersection of 12th and D streets near downtown Lincoln.

Lincoln Police confirmed Friday that they’re investigating it as arson.

The fire damaged a fence and some the siding of a home.

It also burned up some outdoor furniture, including a swing set, belonging to the Hub, a neighboring nonprofit.

The Hub also sustained heat damage in the fire, which was so hot it caused a window in the building to pop out.

The police report estimated more than $4,000 in damage to the nonprofit, as well as nearly $1,600 to the home.

The Hub is a Lincoln-based nonprofit focused on educating, employing and empowering youth in the community.

The suspected arson is a major setback for the group, which served more than a thousand of Lincoln’s youth last year alone.

“We are anchored in this community because we believe in this community and we love this community,” Executive Director Rose Hood-Buss said Friday. “And yesterday, we were very fortunate that this community helped.”

Hood-Buss said neighbors rushed in to help minimize the damage before Lincoln Fire & Rescue crews arrived.

“I don’t even know who they were,” she said. “I’ve seen a video of them coming in. But just, thank you to them for stepping in and being willing to put this fire out.”

The courtyard where the fire occurred was about to be redesigned into a more functional outdoor space for the center’s youth, according to Hood-Buss.

“This wasn’t how we wanted to start our plans of getting a revamped outdoor space, and it will set us back a little bit,” she said. “But we’re determined to be an anchor in this neighborhood. Determined to come back and have this space be a space that is useful and helpful for our young people.”

No arrests have been made in the arson.