A local contractor on Friday began pulling down the south wall of the historic Pioneer Building, which was destroyed by fire Nov. 20. Under a new deadline granted by the city, Madget Demolition has until December 23 to make the area safe for entry.

Workers are pulling down the south wall of the building, along Fifth Street, as a priority. They hope to reduce or eliminate any additional damage to adjacent properties, including a city parking garage across the street.

The cause of the fire has not been determined, because the building is not safe for fire inspectors to do their work. Once the building is deemed safe for entry, they can pick through the tons of rubble to try to determine the cause of the fire.

Once their work is done, the contractor can complete the demolition.