TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - New details are being revealed about how a fire got started at International Book Mine.
According to the Bureau of Fire and Arson Investigation, the fire has been classified as undetermined, with no further leads.
A witness says in the report that he was walking by the front of the book store about five minutes before the fire and smelled "weed smoke" coming from inside the store. He stated that the fire appeared to have originated somewhere near the front door, but couldn't provide any further information.
The owner of Book Mine, James Robert Hayes, was aware that a water main busted a few months ago, but declined to fix it.
Hayes stated that three of his employers tried at one point to fix the water main, but the space in the meter box was cramped.
Hayes wasn't aware of any electrical or mechanical issues with the store.
Investigators still believe this fire to be suspicious and are encouraging residents to call in and and report any information.
The estimated total loss is $250,000.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - The Tallahassee Fire Department responded to a fire Thursday afternoon at the International Book Mine on Gaines Street.
Crews responded to a fire at the International Book Mine, which sits at the intersection of Gay and Gaines Street. The fire started around 4 p.m.
As of 6:25 p.m., the fire is now under control and is mostly extinguished, though crews anticipate they may be out there for several more hours.
Gaines Street was blocked from Monroe Street all the way down to Florida State. TFD says there was only one person in the building at the time of the fire and no one was hurt.
Firefighters say the fire was hard to put out because the books were acting as kindling.
They say one of their biggest priorities was to ensure the safety of neighboring buildings next to the International Book Mine to include the apartments behind the building and University Cycles of Tallahassee next to it.
Leon County EMS, Tallahassee Police Department, City Utilities and City Public works were all on scene assisting TFD.
Crews stayed on scene and diligently worked to overhaul and remove debris from the structure.
There's no word on the cause of the fire.
The cause is under investigation at this time and a dollar loss amount has not yet been determined.
The International Book Mine has been in business for eight years. The building itself has been standing since 1949.
WTXL will keep you updated as more details become available.
