A city fire inspector said Tuesday the fire burned for 30 minutes before firefighters were called to the scene. One week after the blaze destroyed 54 units in the 136-unit complex and left 250 people without homes, fire investigators remain unable to pinpoint the cause. Four Virginia State Police investigators are assisting the Danville Fire Department in the probe. After workers spent part of Tuesday and Wednesday removing debris from the building and sifting through it, investigators closed the scene. Still, they're not finished.
Fire is dirty work.
We have smoke and, in this case, a lot of rubble and debris. We have safety issues we have to think about. Fire investigators said earlier this week that collapsing fire walls and wind hampered the pace of the investigation. The emergency services director added investigators hope to complete their preliminary findings within the next two weeks. Young said his office is working with the state branch of the federal Small Business Administration about getting low-interest loans for fire victims.