Cause undetermined in restaurant fire

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - Fire investigators are still working to figure out what caused the big fire at Wu's Chinese Cuisine on Coldwater Rd. Sunday night.

Tuesday, Fort Wayne Fire Department Deputy Chief Amy Biggs told NewsChannel 15 that investigators have not been able to determine the cause of the fire because the roof collapsed.  That collapse created a pile of debris that has made it impossible for investigators to search the building for clues. 

The building has been turned over to the Allen County Building Department and the owner of the restaurant.  Biggs said as the two work together to remove the debris, investigators will go back inside the building to try to figure out a cause.  That could take a couple of weeks.       

The fire started at the restaurant set to open in the old Ponderosa Steak House around 9:15 p.m. Sunday. A nearby I-Hop employee told NewsChannel 15 Wu's hadn't opened for business yet. NewsChannel 15 was told the building had been under renovations since July.

When the first fire crews arrived at the scene, there was a lot of smoke coming out of the building, but no flames were showing. But, then the firefighters heard sounds of crackling and fire inside the wall and attic.

The fire broke through the roof in the back end of the building. When NewsChannel 15's photographer was on the scene, there were huge flames coming out of the roof and firefighters used ariel ladders to put water on the fire from the air. It took about an hour to get the fire under control.

At first, fire crews thought there was no gas or electricity to the building, but further investigation showed the restaurant did have power. The fire blew two of the three fuses, which shut down the electric meter.

There was a lot of damage to the building, but the building department decided not to tear it down yet.

Several teams of firefighters worked throughout the night to make sure no hot spots reignited. Every two hours new firefighter crews arrived at the scene to help

Both lanes of Coldwater Rd. northbound were closed between Collins Rd. and Coliseum Blvd. for several hours.