BOTHELL — Federal investigators on Sunday began sifting through the charred rubble, looking for what caused the massive fire in downtown Bothell that destroyed 16 businesses and damaged at least four others early Friday morning.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, often called ATF, is working alongside local authorities. It is common for ATF to help small communities with investigations of large-scale fires.
The search for a cause began around 9 a.m. Sunday. The work is expected to take a week to 10 days.
The ATF has deployed its National Response Team, which includes roughly 20 additional experts who will try to pinpoint where and how the fire started, Douglas Dawson, special agent in charge of the ATF Seattle Field Division, said in a written statement. The team includes forensic chemists, explosives enforcement officers, fire-protection engineers, dogs trained to detect accelerants and explosives as well as computer and audit forensic experts.
“We will work alongside Bothell fire and police to provide our capabilities as a force multiplier in determining the origin and cause of the fire, ” Dawson said.
On Friday, Bothell fire chief Bob Van Horne said the fire did not appear suspicious.
Even so, investigators are looking at all possibilities.
Bothell police on Saturday posted a message seeking potential witnesses. It read: “As investigators begin to sift through the debris of the Mercantile building we are asking anyone who may have seen anything suspicious or out of place to call our Tip Line at 425-487-5551.”
“There is nothing confirmed suspicious,” said Kirsten Clemens, a spokeswoman for Bothell Fire and EMS. “They are just doing their due diligence.”
The four-alarm fire destroyed two buildings: the Bothell Mall and the Mercantile. More than 90 firefighters from Snohomish and King counties battled the blaze. There has yet to be an official damage estimate, which likely will be in the millions.
Debris runoff into the Sammamish River has been contained and a state Department of Ecology inspection found no evidence of damage to wildlife, city officials announced Sunday. Ecology crews found fire suppression foam and small charred particles in the water. The debris was removed by environmental contractors hired by the city.
Eric Stevick: 425-339-3446, stevick@heraldnet.com
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