ALTON - Mutiple fire departments responded to a fire at an unoccupied commercial structure on Pearl Street early Tuesday morning.
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Alton Fire Chief Bernie Sebold said the fire began just after 4 a.m. Tuesday morning. He said the structure was under renovation, but was unoccupied and had no utilities connected to it. Just before 5 a.m., Sebold said the fire had been contained between the old roof and a new one being constructed. He estimated the damage to be around $10,000 - $15,000.
When asked about the cause of the blaze, Sebold said it was under investigation and firefighters had yet to go into the structure to investigate. When asked if it could have been caused by a homeless person seeking shelter from frigid temperatures, Sebold said it was definitely a possibility, but no investigation had been conducted.
Due to the building being commercial, a Box Alarm for mutual aid was struck, and firefighters from both Wood River and East Alton responded to the scene. The Alton Police Department assisted in directing traffic.
