Investigators set to enter burned office building

One week after a northeast Houston office building fire that killed three people and injured several more, investigators are finally getting the chance to take an up-close look at the damaged portion of the building in hopes of finding out where and how the fire began. The investigation has been delayed because the building, at 9343 North Loop East, was structurally weakened by the fire that destroyed its top two floors; crews have been working over the past few days to stabilize it with interior supports and exterior guy wires. "It looks like tomorrow morning, the building will be structurally safe enough for them to go in and start moving some debris and heavy stuff around," HFD assistant chief Jack Williams told the Chronicle yesterday.

On Tuesday, officials used a crane to remove some heavy debris from the fifth floor of the building, and there may be more of the same to come, Williams said: "To [investigate] fully, they have to look at everything. Sometimes that means moving heavy desks, pulling carpet off the floor or it may involve pulling down wall-coverings. Whatever it takes to do their investigation, they will do whatever it takes." Federal ATF agents will help with the investigation, which Williams said is a routine step in dealing with major fires. "We're going to let the scene tell us," ATF National Response Team agent Robert Elderf told KPRC. "We're not going to presume that it's an accidental fire. We're not going to presume that it's an intentionally set fire. We're going to go where the evidence in the scene takes us."

Authorities said the investigation into the fire's cause may take several days or several weeks.