MONTPELIER — Authorities may never know precisely what caused a massive fire that ripped through a Montpelier lumberyard late last year, but a state fire investigator said rk Miles’ insurance company hasn’t given up hope.
The cause of the Nov. 1 fire, which wasn’t considered suspicious at the time and still isn’t, was ruled “undetermined,” though Det. Sgt. Chris Blais said if an insurance company’s forensic attempts to pinpoint what started the fire are successful.
Blais said the insurance company is “delving deeper” in an attempt to “subrogate” the claim by proving the fire was caused by a malfunctioning component in equipment stored in one of the sheds that were leveled by the blaze. If, and Blais said that remains a big if, the insurance company can conclusively prove the fire was started by a piece of equipment that didn’t function the way that it should have, it could attempt to recoup some, or all, of the claim from the insurer for the manufacturer.
Blais said his own investigation revealed no “definitive cause” and a review of all available video footage ruled out any “human involvement.”
With no plausible criminal case to pursue, Blais said he ruled the cause of the fire was “undetermined.”
