The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) has determined that the fire that destroyed the Bureau of Land Management’s field office in Challis on Tuesday was not caused by a criminal act.
(ISJ)- According to a press release issued by the BLM, investigators with the ATF cannot conclusively determine the cause of the fire. However, the investigation found no evidence of any criminal act or any presence of an added fire accelerant.
The blaze was so extensive that the building, which houses 25 BLM employees, was declared a total loss. The extent of the damage is currently unknown, but it is initially estimated to be in the millions.
Since the building was a federal facility, ATF investigators took charge of the fire scene investigation.
Over the course of two days, a team of investigators from the ATF removed debris from the damaged structure for analysis, took photographs and conducted numerous interviews.
(Photo Credit: AP via ISJ)