THUNDER BAY – With the Finnish Labour Temple fire being out for over 24 hours, Investigators are beginning to look for the area of origin but may have to hold the scene for a few days for the holiday.
”I mean obviously with Christmas being right there, yeah, we’re going to see what we can get done today and if we have to hold it for a few days and get back in next week, we can do that,” said Kevin Anderson, Fire Prevention captain.
“But we’re just going to pick away at it today and see what we can figure out.”
The investigators are being helped by Fire Prevention and structural engineers to determine what areas are safe to enter.
“We’re assisting the fire marshal who’s working on looking to find the area of origin. You know, we have an idea but we’re working with structural engineers to get into certain parts of the building that are safe to enter. Obviously, the third floor where there was the most fire damage and some roof collapse, that’s not safe to enter,” said Anderson.
“With the use of our aerial ladder, well, we’re getting some shots from above. And again, with new construction, overall construction has many layers, which makes it difficult to, you know, define that area right now.
Some portions of the structure have been deemed OK but some parts are still not anywhere near safe for entry, particularly, the third floor which faced severe damage as the roof collapsed.
“The main thing is that we keep everybody safe, look from above, if we can, you can’t get into that exact area of origin so we’re just seeing what we can do today,” said Anderson.
