ATF officials sift through warehouse debris to learn fire cause

Evansville, Indiana (WFIE) – The ATF has officially launched an investigation into the cause of the Morton Avenue warehouse fire.

They brought the dog to the scene on Wednesday to sift through the debris outside the building.

So far, five buildings are known to have been affected, including a warehouse.

On Wednesday night, EFD division chief Mike Larson gave us an update on our next steps.

“If they dig all over the place trying to figure out what caused the fire, that’s part of the cleanup. How long does it take? [It’s] beyond me. It’s a pretty big area,” Larson said.

Chief Larson said the building will range from two blocks wide to three to four blocks long.

The building was a major symbol of Evansville’s history. Morton Avenue Warehouse has existed for over 100 years.

In 1902 William H. McCurdy founded the Hercules Buggy Company.

Hercules manufactured carriages there until the 1920s.

One of those buggies is on display at the Evansville Museum’s Transportation Center.

Curator Tom Romberg shared his reaction when he learned of the fire.

“Of course, buildings can be replaced, but people cannot. said.

At the time of the fire, the building was being rented out as a warehouse.

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