Fate of downtown Merced market remains unclear; fire investigation ongoing
Investigators are still picking through the charred remains of a downtown Merced market that burned in December, leaving a hole in the city’s entertainment district.
No one was injured in the Dec. 18 blaze in the 600 block of West Main Street, but the building and its contents were “deemed a total loss,” according to Merced fire officials.
The flames were reported just after 10 a.m. The first fire crew found heavy smoke rising from the roof at the back of the building, which was home to UC Oriental Market and KCW Cellular.
“It’s still an ongoing investigation,” fire Capt. Morgan Madruga said on Wednesday. “As we do with any investigation, we want to be thorough.”
It’s still an ongoing investigation. As we do any investigation, we want to be thorough.
Merced Fire Capt. Morgan Madruga
Fire officials had not ruled out any potential causes, he said.
The business license for the market is under the name Mai Moua, and the cellphone license belongs to Chan Wang Kue, according to city records. Neither person was available for comment Thursday.
Frank Quintero, Merced’s economic director, said he had not spoken to the business owners and would wait for the fire investigation to end before doing so.
Anyone with information on the incident can call Battalion Chief Cory Haas at 209-385-6891.
Thaddeus Miller: 209-385-2453, @thaddeusmiller
This story was originally published January 12, 2017 at 3:58 PM with the headline "Fate of downtown Merced market remains unclear; fire investigation ongoing."