By Richard Kerns
rkerns@newstribune.info
tribune staff writer
KEYSER — Ongoing investigation into the Saturday-night blaze that destroyed the Comcast building in Keyser pointed Monday to fire of a suspicious origin, but officials said further investigation was required before the fire could be ruled arson.
An investigator from the West Virginia Fire Marshal's Office was on the scene at 55 North Main Street for much of the afternoon Monday, and called for an arson dog from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms in Maryland to investigate for the presence of accelerants in the 9:30 p.m. fire, which destroyed the building housing cable television and Internet equipment for Comcast in the Keyser area. The dog still had not arrived by mid-afternoon.
A senior investigator from the Fire Marshal's Office is expected at the scene today to assist in the investigation.
see FIRE page 8
“It's very suspicious at this time,” said Chris Paitsel, assistant chief of the Keyser Volunteer Fire Department, and a Keyser police officer.
The fire, which occurred at the same time as Fourth of July fireworks in Keyser, caused an estimated $200,000 damage to the building and $100,000 to equipment.
Television and Internet services were disrupted throughout the day Sunday for Keyser-area Comcast customers. Television service was mostly restored by Sunday night, and the Internet by Monday morning, with a temporary “hub” set up in a trailer near the Comcast building.
“Our guys worked through the night to restore service,” said Jody Doherty, a Comcast spokesman. “We brought in equipment from throughout the state.”
Comcast leased the building from Telemedia. Doherty said Comcast will be looking for a new hub site in the Keyser area, but will await results of the investigation and insurance issues before relocating from the temporary site.
Paitsel said initial investigation appears to indicate that the fire started in two different locations. The ATF dog would help confirm that an accelerant like gasoline was used to start the fire. A formal ruling of arson would be issued by the fire marshal's office.
“We can't be sure until they complete the investigation,” he said.
