The culprit behind the dramatic blaze that gutted the Boston Pizza and Blockbuster Video on Monday afternoon was a "carelessly discarded" cigarette, stated Prince George Fire Rescue Services investigators Wednesday.
The two Central Street businesses shared a building that was engulfed by fire starting at about 2:30 p.m. on Sunday.
"All evidence gathered indicates that this fire resulted from carelessly discarded smoking materials," states a Wednesday evening press release.
The buildings became so compromised by the damage, it was Tuesday before fire investigation specialists could enter the scene.
"We certainly had to take precautions. We had a structural engineer there to make sure it was safe before we entered," Fire Chief-Designate John Lane said. "There was a team involved, and they have to work very carefully, proceeding through the ruble and uncover the evidence as carefully as possible."
Apart from the structural instability, which was the focus of the engineer's initial analysis, the investigation team was able to move through the debris smoothly, Lane explained.
An estimate of the dollar loss to the building and contents has yet to be determined, according to the release.
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