The cause of Monday's deli fire where two Buffalo firefighters died is still not known. But we do know more tonight about the "voice" that neighbors heard coming form inside the building, sending Lt. Charles McCarthy and Firefighter Jonathan Croom charging inside.
Fire investigators are now confirming that the "voice" neighbors heard was actually an argument between people on the street and it had nothing to do with the fire. So at this point, the focus is on finding the cause of this deadly fire.
The Super Speedy Deli at the corner of Genesee Street and Burgard Place no longer exists. Demolition crews have knocked down the charred remains and a giant hole, where two firefighters were found in the basement, is all that remains today.
"We literally took that building apart, piece by piece, shovel by shovel," said Buffalo Fire Department Commissioner Michael Lombardo at Wednesday's news conference.
Fire marshalls now say the "voice" that neighbors heard likely came from people arguing on the street. And the banging noise, thought to be someone calling for help, could have been explosions caused by the intense flames. They know this, because no civilian victim was found in the embers, and there was no easy way into the basement.
"The way into the basement had a steel door on it, and it was bolted from both sides, and it was locked down," said Lombardo.
So the focus now is on how this fire started. Multiple agencies are investigating this case but no one is commenting on whether or not the fire was "suspicious" in nature.
"It is being investigated by our homicide unit, it is not being called a homicide, but it is being investigated by our homicide unit," said Buffalo Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson.
Electric and gas inspectors were on scene this week looking into whether there was a utility malfunction. And debris from the scene is being tested at the Erie County Crime Lab to see if there is any trace of accelerant.
"It's a very difficult thing to try to determine the cause of a fire," said Lombardo.
McCarthy and Croom were laid to rest on Friday after a week of public mourning. But it may take much longer until fire officials find out what caused this deadly fire that killed them. "It could be days, it could be weeks. We gotta get some lab analysis back too, on the samples," said ATF Buffalo Bureau Resident Agent in Charge David DeJoe on Wednesday.
Tomorrow investigators with NIOSH, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, will arrive in Buffalo for a 2-day visit. Federal law mandates that they come in to do an independent investigation when firefighters are killed in the line of duty.
