Monsey, NY, November 21, 2005--Detectives investigating a fire that destroyed a flooring store think it probably was not arson, Ramapo police said yesterday.
A final ruling has not been made, so that could change as more information is gathered, police said.
Detectives plan to inspect the remains of Ace Flooring on Robert Pitt Drive again Tuesday with insurance investigators, Ramapo Detective Sgt. John Lynch said. Detectives for the Ramapo Police Department and the sheriff's arson unit are working the case.
"They can't make a determination either way on the exact cause, at this point," Lynch said yesterday. "There is a large amount of debris that had to be removed for safety reasons. They are not leaning at this moment toward arson."
Lynch said the preliminary investigation indicated the fire started near a furnace close to a second-floor office in the large warehouse building. A gallon-sized gasoline can was kept in the area to fuel a leaf blower and weed cutter, Lynch said.
"We believe it was a logical place to put the small gas can," Lynch said.
Detectives also didn't think the fire was set by a man dressed in black who reportedly ran away from the building to a white minivan on the night of the fire. Police hoped some area business surveillance videotapes might reveal pertinent information.
"We confirmed the upper portion of the building and the roof were burning substantially when the van was leaving," Lynch said. "The fire was burning way too long for this person to have stayed inside the building or the parking lot."
The fire, reported at 9:27 p.m. Wednesday, engulfed Ace Flooring, a family-owned business for at least 35 years. About 100 firefighters from four departments battled the blaze until 5:15 a.m. Thursday.
Monsey firefighters were called back about 7:10 a.m. Thursday when a Ramapo police officer spotted flames amid the rubble, which included carpets, tile, linoleum and glue. Tons of steel also littered the site, where the rectangular building — about 175 to 200 feet long and 75 to 80 feet wide — once stood.
The owner, Yankel D. Rosenberg of Monsey, has been trying to buy more materials to fulfill the store's existing contracts, Lynch said.
