The investigation into last week’s James Street swing bridge fire continues, still without a clear indication of when answers will begin to surface.
John Hay, chief of Thunder Bay Fire Rescue, said the investigation is still in the hands of the fire marshall.
“The forensics work is just beginning and we don’t know how long that’s going to take,” Hay said on Monday morning. “We haven’t been able to rule anything out just yet.”
The bridge, which links the city to the Fort William First Nation, caught fire early last Tuesday evening as flames engulfed the structure. CN Rail, the owners of the bridge, reopened to rail traffic on Friday morning. Vehicular traffic remains closed.
The company has hired a structural engineer to examine the roadway portion of the bridge, with their evaluation beginning late last week.
CN Rail regional manager Lindsay Fedchyshyn said on Monday they are awaiting a conditioning report of the bridge before they make any determinations on reopening the road.
She said the report is expected around the middle of the week.
Fire crews were also kept busy last week by a pair of Friday morning blazes.
Hay said the two fires, one at Almada Upholstery and the other at Frankie and Johnny’s Auto Body Ltd are still under investigation.
