The reward is now $30,000 for anyone who can provide information leading to an arrest and conviction of those responsible for the fire that destroyed the Lighthouse Restaurant in Dewey Beach.

The Lighthouse Cove Development Company announced Jan. 22 the award would be increased from $25,000 regarding the April 23, 2020, fire that caused an estimated $750,000 in damage and which Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal John Galaska said May 6, 2020, was being investigated as an arson. The April 23 arson followed a fire set at the same location earlier that month, Galaska said. 

“It is still an active investigation,” Galaska said Jan. 22.

Thomas J. Hanna, president of Harvey Hanna & Associates, the company overseeing the development in Dewey Beach, said the reward was increased to encourage those with additional information about the fire to come forward so that responsible parties can be brought to justice.

“We will not rest until this is resolved,” Hanna said. “We remain confident we can soon bring to full light the details of this senseless act. We would also like to thank the Delaware Fire Marshal’s and attorney general’s offices for continuing to explore every lead in our relentless pursuit in the arson investigation.”

The Lighthouse Restaurant was being remodeled at the time of the fire, with the expectation that it would be reopen in summer 2020. The arson occurred weeks before the restaurant was scheduled to reopen, thereby displacing almost 40 workers who had been hired or had been scheduled to be hired, Lighthouse Cove officials said; no timeline has been determined for rebuilding the restaurant. Dewey Beach Interim Town Manager Jim Dedes said adjustments had to be made to the early drawings and application of the restaurant.

Anyone with information on the fire is asked to contact the Delaware Fire Marshal at 302-856-5600, Delaware Crime Stoppers’ anonymous tip line at 800-TIP-3333, or Harvey, Hanna & Associates at 302-323-9300, Ext. 112.