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N.D. (AP) – A 50-year-old Texas man has been charged with setting the fire that destroyed the Lone Steer Motel in Steele.
 
Allen Thomas could spend up to 10 years in prison if he’s convicted on the arson charge.
 
State authorities and the federal Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the Sunday morning fire. The federal agency estimates the damage at $1.5 million.
 
No one was reported injured. The fire displaced about two dozen people. Steele is about 40 miles east of Bismarck, and the motel was a landmark along Interstate 94.