ALPINE, Texas — The city of Alpine is still recovering from the devastating fire that claimed five local businesses on May 26.
While Alpine Police said the cause was undetermined, that doesn't mean the investigation is over.
When devastation hits a community, they will always look for answers. That is exactly what Alpine Police is currently working on.
In a phone interview on Thursday, Alpine Police Chief Darrell Losoya confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing and the department did have leads in the case.
For the city, a fire like the one they experienced was not a typical event.
"One of the things about this is that we don't deal with very many fires as frequently as frequently as other larger communities," Losoya said. "They usually have their own special investigators for that. Like if you have an agency in Midland or Odessa, they deal with that more often than we do where they have their own fire Marshalls and their own investigators specifically for that purpose."
The police department's primary role at the start of the investigation is the safety of people and property.
"I’ve had cases where it's a larger structure and there's more property to go through," Losoya said. "It makes it more difficult And then you also have to deal with hazardous material such as asbestos or other toxins."
As this search continues, Alpine PD feels for its community.
"This building has been a cornerstone for this community for a very long time," Losoya said. "We understand and we empathize with the businesses and the community that are affected by it. We’re trying to go through this investigation as fast as possible to rebuild."