Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - The ATF National Response Team is wasting no time in beginning its part of the investigation into the deadly Main Street fire in Buffalo that claimed the life of Buffalo firefighter Jason Arno.
Dozens of investigators were on the scene Saturday morning and began the arduous task of picking through the remains and rubble of the burnt-out structure in hopes of finding clues that help determine the fire's origin.
"We're working very slow today into this scene because of the structural stability of this building," said ATF Branch Chief Walter Shaw. "We're working our way into the building, looking at different types of potential fire causes and ruling those out as we go along." Shaw hopes by the end of next week a 'hypothesis' may be reached to help determine the cause of the fire.
In comments following the fire Wednesday, Buffalo Fire Commissioner William Renaldo noted there were crews working on the building, possibly using a torch for some masonry work.
"From the early indications from the Department of Permits and Inspection Services, there were not permits," Mayor Byron Brown stated Saturday. "We don't know exactly what type of work was being done."
Would a permit have been required for the work that was underway on the structure at the time of the fire? "As far as the matter of permits or lack of permits, there's going to be more to follow on that," said Renaldo.
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"It's very early in the investigation to speculate," said Shaw as he described the work the ATF team is completing. "We're looking at all aspects of fire causation within the structure. We're interviewing people, going throughout this interview process, getting witness statements, videos from surrounding businesses and putting it all together, trying to create a timeline."
ATF investigators could be seen manually excavating the structure as heavy equipment could possible compromise the unstable building remains. "The structure is built over a full basement and it can't handle the weight of any heavy machinery," Shaw said.
Renaldo said further investigation since the fire confirms the belief there were two 'backdraft' situations that occurred Wednesday. "We do believe there was a second backdraft," Renaldo said. The first backdraft caused a portion of the building to collapse, said Renaldo. "Jason was covered by a significant amount of debris and that's why they were not able to retrieve him in time."
A unit from the New York City Fire Department is also on the scene working to help stabilize the remaining structure at 745 Main Street.
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