Salinas Fire Chief: Dick Bruhn fire was not set intentionally

Salinas Fire Chief Ed Rodriguez said Saturday’s fire at the Dick Bruhn building was not set intentionally.

This determination, he said, is based on the preliminary investigation by the department with help from the ATF. The chief said it could be weeks until the exact cause is determined.

Rodriguez said moving forward, the plan is to focus on the cleanup, which could also take weeks.

Mayor Joe Gunter, also speaking at the afternoon press conference, thanked everyone who has been helping out in this case. He especially thanked the firefighters for saving the historic building.

KION’s Monica Jacquez will have more details on this development tonight.