WHEATON, Minn. - The cause of a fire that destroyed the D-Bar and Grill and a vacant former jewelry store Monday in Wheaton could not be determined, Deputy State Fire Marshal John Steinbach said today.
"Probably we'll never know" what sparked the blaze, he said. "There's too much damage."
Foul play is not suspected, Steinbach said.
There was no evidence of an appliance being left on, but the possibility can't be ruled out, he said.
"That's something that we can't totally completely eliminate, you know. For the most part, everything was shut off, but people sometimes forget or don't always know, so we can't eliminate everything. It was Mother's Day and they had a busy day," he said.
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More than 60 firefighters from seven departments battled the blaze, which destroyed the bar/arcade and the former Grosland's Jewelry building next door.
Steinbach said his investigation into the fire is closed.
Wheaton is 90 miles northwest of Willmar.
