Investigators probe furniture store fire

By J. Eric Eckard
Rocky Mount Telegram
Fire investigators spent Tuesday combing through the remains of a burned-out building in Rocky Mount, but they still don’t know what caused the blaze that destroyed Jeff’s Furniture Warehouse last week.
“Given the amount of damage, I don’t know if we’ll ever come up with a cause,” Rocky Mount Fire Chief Keith Harris said.


Fire swept through the furniture store on Marigold Street a week ago, razing the building. Two employees who were inside the building when the fire started escaped without injury.
Because the building was unstable after firefighters extinguished the blaze, a Rocky Mount fire investigator, an insurance company investigator and other firefighters waited until Tuesday to join forces and enter the crumbling shell.
“They looked at wiring and lighting, and they have not come up with a cause,” Harris said. “We also took samples as a precuationary measure to be tested for an accelerant, but we have no reason to believe there was anything suspicious.”
Fire department estimates put the losses at $600,000 – $100,000 for the building and $500,000 for the contents, which were mostly furniture and mattresses. Flames and smoke were seen miles from the downtown area, and bystanders could feel the heat from the blaze hundreds of feet away.
With the on-site investigation completed, Harris said, the building is expected to be demolished.