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Local, state and federal officials say they apparently won’t ever know what caused a fire that destroyed a historic old flour mill nearly two months ago in Salisbury.
Fire and police officials in Salisbury announced Wednesday that an investigation has failed to determine a cause of the five-alarm blaze Jan. 16 at the Grimes Mill.
Elaney Hasselmann, a spokeswoman for the city, said local officials had combined with the State Bureau of Investigation and the federal government’s Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in the investigation. She said the results of the probe were, “The cause of the fire is undetermined.”
No injuries were reported in the blaze, which was spotted on the evening of Jan. 16 by a passing motorist. The North Church Street mill, built in 1896, burned for much of the night, although crews from a half-dozen Rowan County fire departments brought it under control in about 80 minutes.
In its heyday during the early part of the 20th Century, the Grimes Mill produced flour and baking products. It was sold in 1982 to the Historic Salisbury Foundation and was used as a museum, the site of tours and fund raising events.
