DETROIT (WWJ) – It will be a little longer until investigators determine what caused the fire that destroyed an iconic Detroit restaurant on Friday, after the flames rekindled on Tuesday morning.
Detroit fire officials tell WWJ the Traffic Jam and Snug, which was completely gutted and deemed a total loss when it went up in flames last week, caught fire again, prolonging the investigation.
Spokesperson James Harris with the Detroit Fire Department told WWJ investigators aren’t exactly sure what caused the fire to rekindle, but there could have been hotspots underneath the rubble.
“The building has pretty much collapsed on the inside, so there could’ve been things deep underground that were still burning that we didn’t see the first time that were just simmering and smoldering underneath the rubbish,” Harris said.
He noted recent hot temperatures – which were approaching the 90s on Tuesday – could have contributed to the fire rekindling.
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The Traffic Jam and Snug, on Canfield Avenue, between Cass Avenue and Second Street, was known as Michigan’s first brewpub after opening in 1965.
Authorities say it caught fire sometime Thursday night or early Friday morning. Fire officials were alerted to the fire around 2 a.m. Friday.
Detroit's acting fire chief said all of the wooden floors inside of the building erupted in flames so fast, making the restaurant a complete loss -- except for the micro brewpub in the back.
No injuries were reported, as nobody was inside the building when the fire began.Because of the installation of firewalls, Shinola and Mario's on either side of the establishment were completely untouched.
Though crews are still investigating the cause, officials said last week they did not find it to be suspicious.
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