WHITING | The cause of the fire that destroyed a building on 119th Street in downtown Whiting is still undetermined, the city's fire chief said.
Whiting Fire Chief Gus Danielides said an investigative team from the state fire marshal's office and the insurance company for the building have cleared the scene and will take back samples from the debris to process.
Danielides said the state did not provide a timetable of when a cause will be known.
“It's in their court right now,” Danielides said. “From the Whiting Fire Department's point of view, we're done with it. They are in charge right now of determination of origin.”
Danielides said the building's demolition should take place this week.
The three-story building caught fire Jan. 20 and displaced about 17 residents. The building housed a dress shop on the first floor and seven apartments.
Firefighters were able to determine the fire began downstairs in the Lubia's Dresses and Events shop before spreading upstairs to the apartments.
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