State fire marshall says accelerant found in Thomas Furniture Fire

Special instruments photographed by NAnewsweb.com the same day as the fire have helped prove an “accelerant” was involved in the blaze that destroyed a million square foot building.

Local, state and possibly federal law enforcement officials are involved in investigating the June 26 fire. The building, formerly used by Piper Industries, was fully involved in flames when the first of 24 fire-fighting departments arrived on the scene shortly after 1 a.m.

The huge structure, occupied by both Thomas Wholesale Furniture and Master-Bilt Refrigeration Solutions, was located about 3.6 miles north of New Albany on the east side of Highway 15.

The Mississippi Fire Marshall’s office has indicated that the fire was deliberately set.

Devices placed on the perimeter of the fire take air samples to help determine causes of the fire. Testing determined an accelerant was involved.

Personnel of a private investigative company from Little Rock, Arkansas, told a NAnewsweb.com reporter the afternoon of June 26 that several instruments such as the one shown here were used to take air samples to help determine what had caused the fire.

Local law enforcement officials told NAnewsweb.com Monday that they are not yet aware of any criminal charges being filed or arrests made.

The dictionary defines an accelerant as “a substance used to aid the spread of a fire.”

It was determined a couple of days after the fire that part of the structure was owned by the Union County government.

The Thomas Wholesale Furniture fire aftermath: http://newalbanyunionco.com/thomas-wholesale-furniture-fire-aftermath/