Officials are investigating a fire that occurred last Friday in downtown St. Louis, which affected several vacant warehouses. The St. Louis Regional Bomb and Arson Unit is leading the investigation, according to a statement from the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Facebook post.
Investigators are exploring the possibility that some of the fires in the abandoned warehouses may have been started for warmth. Authorities are also searching for one individual who was reportedly last seen inside the affected buildings and is now missing.
The investigation has expanded as local bomb and arson specialists work alongside federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Together, they are focused on determining the cause and origin of the fires that destroyed the warehouses. Authorities have noted that, due to the reported missing person, the investigation carries heightened urgency.
Authorities in St. Louis have emphasized the role of the Bomb and Arson Unit in investigating fires involving fatalities. "As with all incidents involving a fatality, or suspected fatality, the Bomb and Arson Unit is responsible for conducting the investigation," the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department noted in a Facebook post. The unit is working to determine the cause and circumstances of the blaze that consumed multiple vacant warehouses last Friday.
