It’s only been five days since fire ripped through the building, but the Jacksonville mayor’s office says the building must come down now because it could collapse.
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The investigation into the fire at the RISE Doro apartment building in downtown Jacksonville continues even though the building is now in the process of being demolished.
Sounds of the building being torn apart echoed around the construction site Friday. Some people stopped by to hear the crunching of glass and see pieces of the building slam to the ground. Kitchen cabinets and microwaves are left exposed on the side of the building.
It’s only been five days since fire ripped through the building and then burned for days, but the mayor’s office says the building must come down now because it could collapse at any moment.
The state and U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives as well as the property owner’s insurance company are investigating. First Coast News Crime and Safety Expert Ken Jefferson says ATF’s involvement is standard and does not automatically mean the fire is suspicious.
“The fact that they’re demolishing it gives people pause to think they don’t know what’s going on with it,” Jefferson said. “They know more than we know.”
The State Fire Marshal’s office has not provided an update on what may have caused the fire. Jefferson believes they know enough to continue investigating using technology as the building gets torn down.
“It would be kind of difficult to believe that they would just totally demolish it without having an idea or a thought of what happened, what caused the fire,” he said.
Demolition will continue into the weekend, happening for 10 hours every day, according to the city. Demolition could go into April. As it moves along, they’ll be assessing when the businesses can reopen.
