Investigators say the fire that destroyed an Evansville warehouse at the end of 2022 started in an office area and was electrical in nature. WNIN’s John Gibson has the update:
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives says the New Year’s Eve fire that levelled the Garvin Street Warehouse was caused by an electrical accident.
The agency said its national response team reached the conclusion after “an extensive examination of the fire scene during the past week.”
The Evansville Fire Department, Indiana State Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Evansville Police Department assisted in the investigation.
The four-alarm blaze destroyed the former Faultless Caster building at 1400 N. Garvin.
Firefighters struggled to get a strong water flow from hydrants and eventually called for tanker trucks from Posey, Gibson, Warrick, and Henderson counties to help get water to the scene.
No one was injured but the blaze sent black smoke and debris into the air, sparking health concerns.
Some residents found charred debris in their yards.
The fire followed another warehouse blaze less than three months earlier at the Morton Avenue Warehouse.
Officials did not determine the cause of that fire and issued a $5,000 reward for help solving the investigation.