A fire that destroyed a downtown Jeannette building originated on the first floor, but investigators were still working Monday to determine how it started.

Firefighters and state police fire marshals visited the Clay Avenue building Monday morning. Fire Chief Bill Frye said a partial collapse near where the blaze originated had thus far hampered efforts to figure out what sparked the flames.

“We can’t safely get in there to investigate any further,” he said.

The fire at the two-story building was reported Friday by city police on patrol at the intersection of Clay Avenue and South Fifth Street around 8:30 p.m. Firefighters were met with heavy flames and a large amount of electronic equipment, including computers and cell phones, Frye said. The melted plastic from those items damaged firefighters’ gear.

“The guys were tripping over everything,” he said.

The building housed Computer Clinic and an apartment on the second floor. The first floor was littered Monday with singed items and windows had been broken out of the upper level.

Frye said the apartment didn’t have any permits and the building owner was known to stay there at times. Investigators sifted through the burned remnants through the weekend and didn’t find any indication anyone had been there at the time of the fire, but the possibility remains, Frye said.

“We don’t see any evidence of that right now,” he said.

The building’s owner, Minh Truong of Jeannette, has not been able to be reached by investigators. Truong, who operated Computer Clinic, purchased the property in 2006 for $43,000, according to Westmoreland County deeds. The business has been registered with the state since 2007, according to Department of State records.

A phone number associated with Computer Clinic was not working Monday. Frye asked Truong to contact the city.

The building was not in danger of collapse, Frye said. An adjoining building had minor damage.

The fire was kitty-corner from a 2016 blaze that destroyed a three-story Clay Avenue building. The city footed the bill for emergency demolition and cleanup after acquiring two properties. Work on an amphitheater and green space there was completed earlier this year.

The cause of that fire could not be determined because of the extent of damage.

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