Cause of Depot Avenue fire ?undetermined?

The state fire marshal has concluded his investigation into the blaze at 406 W. Depot Ave. and ruled the cause undetermined.

?We want to stress there?s no foul play suspected,? said Fairfield Fire Chief Scott Vaughan.

Due to the significant amount of debris from the fire and collapse of the building?s brick second floor, he said it is nearly impossible to gather evidence to determine the fire?s cause. It is, however, believed the fire originated somewhere in the woodshop in the structure?s southeast corner, Vaughan said.

He said the area will remain blocked off while the possibility of a collapse remains a hazard.

Owner Martin Brodeur said a 28-foot wall on the east side is standing unsupported ? otherwise, a Cedar Rapids engineer who has inspected the structure is impressed with its stability.

The 1919 structure was built very solid to hold the weight of stacked glass used by the Thoma Glass Company, and removing what?s left may be more expensive than saving it, Brodeur said.

Brodeur said the future of the building remains unclear while his insurance company reviews the case. Though the building ? valued at $122,000 on the Jefferson County Assessor?s Office website ? has been called a total loss, Brodeur said the first floor and basement only sustained water and smoke damage and may be salvageable.

A group of roughly 40 people was allowed into the building for a few hours Sunday to begin clearing out the debris and remaining items.

Already the 4-feet of water that had filled the basement is gone thanks to a significant number of floor drains, Brodeur said. Had the fire occurred during hot, humid summer months, mold would be a serious problem, he said.

Brodeur?s goal is to have the ash and debris removed, the roof sealed off and the floors dried out within the next month.

The Southern Prairie Chapter of the American Red Cross has provided assistance to eight individuals displaced by the fire.

?They showed up and were taking care of everyone within hours of the fire,? Brodeur said, praising the organization for its quick response.

The fire also destroyed a number of artists? studios and workshops: Duncan McMaster?s woodwork, Elaine Duncan?s artwork, Jennifer Blair?s ceramics, Bill Farver?s metalwork and Tim Britton?s pipes suffered water damage, but mostly survived, according to Brodeur. The building also had housed Sutherland Woodworking and Boelen Electronics.

The fire on West Depot Avenue was reported at 7:19 p.m. Nov. 16. Five fire departments battled the blaze through the night.

A second unrelated fire that broke out that evening at Horseshoe Trailer Park, formerly Ranch Trailer Park, remains under investigation.

The mobile home fire was extinguished by the Libertyville Fire Department, which had been manning Fairfield?s station. Vaughan said he still needs to speak with a police officer who was at the scene.