AMARILLO, TX (KFDA) -
The Amarillo Fire Department has ruled the cause of the Taylor's Furniture Gallery structure fire as "undetermined."
AFD officials said at 11:45 a.m. they received a call about smoke coming from Taylor's Furniture.
When they arrived on scene, they found a fire in the southeast corner of the building.
Police were able to contain the fire by 4:00 p.m.
Damages have been estimated at $500,000.
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Fire causes 500K in damage at Taylor Furniture
A Saturday blaze that proved challenging for Amarillo Fire Department caused $500,000 in damage to Taylor Furniture Gallery.
At 11:45 a.m., employees at the Whataburger near Southwest 45th Avenue and South Western Street reported smoke coming from the nearby business, according to an AFD news release. Fire crews arrived two minutes later and forced their way into the closed storefront at 4559 S. Western.
Firefighters extinguished all the fire they could find, but then realized more fire was burning in an inaccessible second-floor office. The only access was a staircase that had already burned.
For several hours, 30 firefighters from nine units tried to access the office, but the deterioration of the structure from fire and water hindered their efforts. Sections of the roof had caved in before the blaze was finally under control at 3:57 p.m.
The Amarillo Fire Marshal’s Office said the fire had started in that office, but the cause is undetermined.
Damages from the fire, including the merchandise inside, were estimated at $500,000.