Winfield Fire Marshal Chad Mayberry said Monday the cause of the Feb. 4 fire that gutted the VFW building has been ruled undetermined.
However, Mayberry did say arson has been ruled out.
“Due to structural damage, investigators were not able to conduct a complete investigation of the second floor of the building,” Mayberry stated via a post on the Winfield Fire/EMS Department Facebook page a day after a fire consumed a commercial building Sunday. “Based on the current evidence, no foul play is suspected.
“The fire cause is classified as undetermined due to the inability to locate the exact area of origin within the structurally unsafe area of the building.”
The VFW building wasn’t the only structure fire in Winfield that day. Mayberry said the house fire at 1017 E. 9th — reported just a couple hours before the VFW blaze — was determined to be accidental.
Mayberry said the fire originated in the kitchen and was determined to have been caused by a failure of an electrical device.
“We are aware that there is concern in the community regarding the recent fires in Winfield,” Mayberry said. “We are as concerned as you are and are working diligently along with our investigation partnering agencies in continuing to follow up on any open investigations.”
