Tisbury fire officials have determined that the devastating Independence Day fire that destroyed Café Moxie and badly damaged the Bunch of Grapes bookstore was accidental in nature and started inside a gas-fed water burner in the basement of the restaurant.
Assistant fire chief James Rogers, a state-certified fire investigator, said yesterday that the fire started in a gas-fired water heater in the basement of Café Moxie. Mr. Rogers said a work crew last Thursday used heavy equipment to dig out the cellar of the restaurant to better assess the damages.
Mr. Rogers said it hasn’t been determined what exactly went wrong with the water heater. He speculated there might have been a loose connection that leaked propane which started the fire, or something else went wrong. But it is clear, he said, that the fire started inside the water heater.
“You would need some type of laboratory analysis to find out exactly happened with the water heater. The insurance companies may still want that level of detail . . . but the indications are the fire was accidental in nature,” he said.
Mr. Rogers said the insurance companies still have work to do, but said the information gathered during the investigation seems to indicate the insurance policies will cover the cost of the damages.
Because of the regional and far-ranging economic impact of the fire on Vineyard Haven and the rest of the Island, there remains some possibility that state or federal grant money may be available to offset the damage caused by the July 4 fire.
Last week, state Rep. Eric Turkington traveled to Vineyard Haven to meet business owners and town leaders and take a tour of the fire scene. Mark Forest, district director for Cong. William H. Delahunt, also attended the meeting.
Mr. Turkington said it was unlikely state grant money would be readily available, although Mr. Forest said low-interest loans might be available from the Small Business Administration to pay for the repairs.
Between the book store and Café Moxie, which both have separate insurance policies for the building and businesses, four insurance claims have been registered. There is no timeline for resolving the claims.
On Wednesday, Bunch of Grapes employees were back inside the store doing a complete inventory of the books for insurance purposes. Jon Nelson, the owner of the Bunch of Grapes, said none of the books can be salvaged or sold during a fire sale for insurance purposes; they were scheduled to be removed by an off-Island salvage company.
During the inventory, the entire store still smelled of heavy smoke that clung to people’s clothing long after they left the building. Bright sunlight could be seen shining through the gaps in the common wall the bookstore shared with the restaurant next door, and everywhere were charred books, many of which were reduced to a gray pulp and ash.
A toppled book shelf was blanketed by metal framing and the tin plating that formerly hung from the ceiling, and exposed ceiling joints could be seen poking out of the first floor ceiling.
Mr. Nelson said he hopes the cleanup will be finished sometime next week, after which the owners will determine what repairs are necessary. As of yesterday, there has been no mention of a timetable as to when the popular bookstore might reopen.
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