Cause of fire that destroyed 3 Statesville businesses still unknown

STATESVILLE, N.C. (WBTV) – The cause of a massive fire that broke out early Tuesday morning and engulfed multiple buildings in downtown Statesville is still under investigation.

The fire destroyed three businesses along South Center and West Broad streets - GG’s Art Frames Gifts, Merrill Lynch and Theatre Statesville.

It took several hours to get the flames under control. No injuries were reported.

Members of the community say they’re hoping these businesses are able to get back on their feet.

“This is going to hurt people’s livelihoods. You never completely come back from something like this. Maybe the upside is that the facades are still here. They can rebuild,” Michael Young, with LMY Inc., said.

The Statesville Fire Department, the North Carolina State Fire Marshal, the State Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms are all investigating the fire.

Because of its size and the extent of the damage, the investigation is expected to take a long time.

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