Cleveland Heights Fire officials are working to determine the cause of an apartment building fire that occurred over the weekend.
Monday afternoon, city officials held a press conference to discuss the devastating fire at the Cedar-Lee-Meadowbrook project site. You can watch the full presser in the player below:
The fire broke out Friday evening in the 200-unit building and took over 14 hours to contain. However, during Monday's press conference, Cleveland Heights Fire Chief Jim Harry said the scene is still an active emergency.
Fire Investigator Thomas Beers said he and other investigators are going into it blind in terms of finding a cause.
"We never come into it [the investigation] with the idea that it was potentially set or accidental, we come in very blindly and allow the facts of the case speak for themselves," Beers said.
Cleveland Heights Mayor Kahlil Seren said in order for the investigation to begin, they need to ensure the site is safe.
The ATF confirmed a certified fire investigator was invited to look into the origin and cause. The State Fire Marshal's office is also lending expertise with its Fire & Explosions Investigations Bureau.
“We do know that there is internal security video footage from the area that would indicate or not indicate or give us some idea if someone was there," Beers said.
The apartment building, which has been in the works for about a year, was 75% complete when the fire broke out Friday.
Seren said the building was a $66 million investment, and the cost of the damages would be "expensive but not out of reach."
He also said there are plans to rebuild the building after the remains are demolished. But as of now, there is no timeline for when the reconstruction will occur, but the building department will issue a demolition order.
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Throughout Friday and Saturday, the proximity of the building to nearby homes and businesses heightened the danger. Firefighters worked to save surrounding properties, even as the apartment building was lost to the flames.
“Not seeing anything that says to me any safety issue or anything that could or should have done better," Harry said.
During the efforts to contain the fire, roads were blocked, and Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District even announced that all events at Heights High School on Saturday were canceled to allow firefighters full access to the area.
As firefighters worked, some surrounding businesses began donating food, warmth and other necessities to them. The city’s fire department shared their appreciation on social media for the multiple agencies and local businesses that supported them.
Several other fire departments also responded to the scene to assist Cleveland Heights, including Shaker Heights, University Heights, South Euclid, Richmond Heights, Pepper Pike, Beachwood, Euclid, Orange Village, Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Highland Heights, Warrensville Heights, Maple Heights, Willoughby Heights and Cuyahoga County EMA.
RELATED: CLE Heights fire shares appreciation for support during massive fire
