Winston-Salem Fire Chief Trey Mayo won't put a timeline on how long it will take to determine what caused the fire that destroyed a Winston-Salem fertilizer plant, but says the answer isn't likely to be revealed soon.
This week, Mayo told reporters that investigators believe they know where the fire began, but he wouldn't share that information because the investigation is ongoing.
He did say last week's blaze does not appear to be related to a smaller fire reported the day after Christmas.
“The incident in December was an overheated bearing in some piece of electrical equipment,” he says. “And it is remote from where we believe the point of origin is from the fire on Monday night. They are up a pretty good distance away in the plant.”
Mayo says investigators have been able to reach the building where they think the more recent fire started. But the damage is extensive, which complicates the search for evidence.