TUPPER LAKE - Investigators haven't yet determined the cause of the fire that demolished a large Lake Street building Wednesday, and they might not be able to.
Franklin County Emergency Services Coordinator Ricky Provost said Thursday he believed investigators have determined an area of origin. He said if investigators do decide on a cause, he may hear something today.
Tupper Lake Fire Chief Mark Picerno said the amount of damage to the building at 61 Lake St. made it difficult for state fire and insurance investigators, who were on the scene Wednesday and Thursday, to find a cause. They might decide that the fire was confined to a certain space where there were a few different things that could have started it, but not be able to make a final determination about the cause.
"I haven't personally talked to investigators, but I would surmise, yes, that's what's going to happen," said Picerno.
The large blaze drew help from a number of surrounding departments. Picerno said a total of 88 firefighters responded to the scene: four from Hamilton County, five from Essex County, 10 from St. Lawrence County and 37 from Franklin County, including from Tupper Lake.
That doesn't include the firefighters who stood by at the stations of departments that did respond, like Cranberry Lake, Star Lake and Lake Placid.
Members of every fire department in Franklin County either responded to the fire or backed up other departments that responded, Provost said.
Paul Maroun, who represents Tupper Lake on the Franklin County Board of Legislators and also is a member of the fire department, issued a public thank-you at a county board meeting Thursday to all the people who helped put the fire out.
Firefighters battled smoke and flames for 18 hours, starting at about 1 a.m. Wednesday. Picerno said there was also a small flame-up Thursday, noticed by a firefighter who was driving by the scene to check up on it, but they were able to pick it apart with an excavator without putting out a full alarm.
They also went into the building Thursday to retrieve some belongings of one of the families that lived in the apartments there, who were family members of firefighter Ian McClear, Picerno said.
Four families lived in the building, along with three businesses and a local union office, but everyone got out of the structure before the flames took hold.
"No one was hurt, thank God," Maroun said.
Several people, including the Family Champions charitable organization, started collecting clothing and other necessities for the displaced families Wednesday, and the Red Cross is helping with finding housing for them. To donate to Family Champions, call 518-359-9110 or email familychampions@yahoo.com.
---
Contact Jessica Collier at 518-891-2600 ext. 25 or jcollier@adirondackdailyenterprise.com.