There was no work Monday on the Whalen Tire warehouse that burned last week.
Workers began to pull the walls of the old building down last week but halted in order to figure out how to finish the job without damaging an adjoining structure.
On Monday, Butte-Silver Bow workers cleaned up an earthen berm that was put up to keep runoff water from the fire away from Steele's Appliance and Furniture store. A stream of water ran down Iron Street next to Steele's at the time of the fire.
The cause of the blaze has not been determined, however, fire officials said last week they don't believe the fire at the Whalen Tire warehouse in the 700 block of South Utah Avenue was intentionally set.
The warehouse fire was one of three that ignited in the city on Thursday, June 11. The two others have been ruled as arson. A 6 a.m. fire at an unoccupied home at 725 South Arizona Street and a 7 a.m. blaze at 135 East Park Street, which consumed part of a sliding garage door in the back of a vacant building, were caused by arson, Butte-Silver Bow Fire Marshal John Lasky.
The fire originated in a room in the center of the main floor of the warehouse, Lasky said Thursday.
Officials were able to gain access to the main floor of the building but won't continue to investigate the fire because the building is unstable and they worry Thursday's winds will knock down the walls, Lasky said.
Officials do not believe the Whalen Tire warehouse fire was related to the other two fires reported that day. Lasky said he believes those fires were the result of a copy cat after the warehouse fire ignited.
A 6 a.m. fire at an unoccupied home at 725 South Arizona Street and a 7 a.m. blaze at 135 East Park Street, which consumed part of a sliding garage door in the back of a vacant building, were caused by arson, according Lasky.
A 50-foot crane was at the site of the warehouse in the 700 block of South Utah Avenue Wednesday to begin tearing down part of the building. Tear down efforts have not uncovered any hot spots and the fire has not reignited, Lasky said.
Officials estimate the fire destroyed more than 20,000 tires inside warehouse and caused $1.7 million in damages to the contents and half a million dollars to the building.
