Fire in downtown Alpine is still under investigation

ALPINE, Texas – The city of Alpine is still recovering from the devastating fire that destroyed five local businesses on May 26.

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Although Alpine police said the cause is still unknown, that does not mean the investigation is complete.

When devastation strikes a community, it always looks for answers, and that’s exactly what Alpine Police is currently working on.

In a telephone interview Thursday, Alpine Police Chief Darrell Losoya confirmed that the investigation is ongoing and the department has leads in the case.

For the city, a fire like the one it experienced was not an everyday occurrence.

“One of the reasons is we don’t deal with fires as frequently as other larger communities,” Losoya said. “They usually have their own special investigators for that. For example, if you have an agency in Midland or Odessa, they deal with it more frequently than we do, where they have their own fire marshals and their own investigators specifically for that purpose.”

The main task of the police at the beginning of the investigation is to ensure the safety of people and property.

“I’ve had cases where there were larger buildings and more property to search,” Losoya said. “That makes it more difficult. And then you also have to deal with dangerous materials like asbestos or other toxic substances.”

As the search continues, Alpine PD empathizes with its community.

“This building has long been a cornerstone of this community,” Losoya said. “We understand and sympathize with the businesses and community affected. We are trying to complete this investigation as quickly as possible to allow for reconstruction.”

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