According to officials, the cause of a December fire that fully collapsed one building and damaged others in downtown Brookings has been ruled an accident, with the cause undetermined.
The fire, which broke out at Brost’s Fashions at 318 Main Ave., started in the basement near an electrical service panel Brookings Fire Chief Pete Bolzer said in a news release.
He said investigators at the local and state levels have decided that no further investigation will be conducted due to the extent of damage to the structure and safety concerns.
The Brookings Fire Department, Brookings Police Department, State Fire Marshal’s Office and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation all contributed to the investigation.
In a Jan. 21 story from The Collegian, Police Chief Michael Drake outlined the response.
“We had at least four officers there within seconds and within a few minutes, six were on scene,” Drake said. “Our job during the entire event, the day it happened, is to keep people safe.”
According to the news release, the blaze, which took 28 hours to fully extinguish, was aided by several factors that hampered firefighting efforts.
The Seven Songbirds Boutique at 320 Main Ave., to the north of Brost’s, also partially collapsed, while other buildings nearby received varying degrees of damage.
The Collegian spoke to Erica Grinde, the owner of Emerald Grace Clothing, which was located right next door to Brost’s at 314 Main Ave.
“Our store is a total loss, from the pens, markers, sharpies, scissors, in our drawer in the backroom- to the fixtures and inventory, etc.,” Grinde said.
Efforts are underway to provide support to those impacted by the fire. To learn more, you can visit Downtown Brooking’s website or donate via a DonorBox here.