The cause of the fire that destroyed a Defiance warehouse last week has been ruled “undetermined.”
That was the word from the state fire marshal’s office following its investigation, according to Defiance Fire Chief Bill Wilkins.
Owned by Al Howerton, the warehouse at Jackson Avenue and Davidson Street was severely damaged by fire in the early morning hours of Jan. 19. Much of the building is a debris pile, its outer walls knocked down in some spots due to the danger of collapse.
Numerous area fire departments helped fight that fire.
While the cause is not known, the area of origin was determined as the southwest corner of the second floor, Wilkins explained.
The owner will have a specified amount of time to determine whether he will rebuild the damaged structure or demolish it, according to the fire chief. Generally speaking, property owners have 90 days from the date of a fire to begin executing their plans, he said.
If that doesn’t happen, the property then becomes subject to the city’s nuisance code enforcement rules.
Mayor Mike McCann told Defiance City Council Tuesday night that Howerton has pledged to rebuild the structure. Attempts to contact Howerton to comment for this article were unsuccessful this week.
The warehouse fire was one of seven significant blazes handled by the city since early December, including one Wednesday that destroyed Indoor Automart, 1700 Buckeye St. That fire was ruled “accidental,” caused by an acetylene torch used inside the building.
Wilkins said the city, which works with the state fire marshal’s office on almost all fires, hadn’t even had any interaction with its Defiance-area investigator — former city firefighter Jason Hoffman — since approximately July.
Rulings on three other recent fires in Defiance:
• Jan. 9, apartment B5 at Garden Ridge Apartments, 1221 Ayersville Ave., ruled “accidental.” The fire injured the apartment’s occupant and significantly damaged the residence.
Wilkins said “discarded smoking material” can’t be ruled out as a cause.
• Dec. 29, one-story residence at 1034 Madison Ave., ruled “accidental.”
The fire started in the attic area above a bedroom, according to Wilkins, and severely damaged the home, displacing the residents.
“They can’t rule out an electrical malfunction,” he said.
• Dec. 29, garage at 1886 Redwood Ave., ruled “undetermined.”
“We did not use the fire marshal because the structure was a total loss and on the ground when we got there,” Wilkins said. “It was listed as undetermined, but they could not rule out electrical.”
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