The Beaufort County Sheriff’s Office has ruled the cause of the fire at Coastal Car Connection in June as undetermined, saying there’s no evidence of foul play.
Both the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms assisted the Sheriff’s Office in the investigation, the outcome of which ruled the cause of fire as undetermined. However, the forensic fire scene investigation indicated an attic electrical fire might have started blaze, according to the release.
“In some cases there are ways (to pinpoint the cause),” said Maj. Kenneth Watson, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office. “In this particular case, a lot of the items that could have identified the source were consumed by the fire.”
The underdetermined verdict means investigators are unable to pinpoint one cause to the exclusion of all others, he added.
“We feel like there was no foul play involved,” Watson said.
Washington Fire-Rescue-EMS and area law enforcement agencies responded to a 911 report of fire at the West Fifth Street, Washington, dealership the night of June 19. Fire personnel extinguished the blaze shortly after midnight and were able to save some of the business’s building and property, said the release.