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Investigation into Princeton building fire continues

Fire engulfed the old Argo Road Maintenance building near Highway 3 and Rocklin Avenue around 2 p.m. May 11.
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The old Argo building in Princeton burst into flames on May 11.

Fire engulfed the old Argo Road Maintenance building near Highway 3 and Rocklin Avenue around 2 p.m. May 11.

The building was being used for storage, and police say no one was inside when the fire started.

The cause of the fire is not yet known, and the investigation into its cause continues.

It doesn’t appear to be suspicious, said Fire Chief Erik Gregson.

Smoke began to billow from the building as firefighters arrived on the scene. Flames shot out from the sides as more firefighters arrived.

“This is the largest fire this year,”  Gregson said.

Firefighters from Keremeos, Tulameen and Hedley soon came to help the Princeton detachment put out the fire.

The flames were mostly inside the building, and the roof later collapsed while the fire was still in full force. .

“This is going to be a tough investigation because of the amount of destruction,” Gregson said.

A large cloud of smoke could be seen throughout Princeton, and chunks of ash fell on the streets nearby.

A police officer backed his truck into the building to tow out a Princeton Ground Search and Rescue trailer. The rescue organization’s equipment was being stored inside.

Other equipment was saved, including an RV belonging to the building’s owner.

The storage building was far enough away from other buildings that the chance of fire spreading wasn’t  a  big concern, Gregson said.