The cause of the two-alarm fire that destroyed a hair salon and an adjacent building and damaged a third is still believed to be of suspicious origin, but for now the cause is listed as “undetermined, pending investigation.”

St Joseph Fire Department Inspector Steve Henrichson says a passerby captured video of the beginning stages of the fire in the 2000 block of St Joseph Avenue during the early morning hours of March 18. That video, along with some surveillance video turned over to St Joseph Police, appears to show the fire starting in a building undergoing renovation before spreading to the neighboring buildings, including the Rumours hair salon at 2002 St Joseph Avenue. The salon, and the apartment where the fire started, were destroyed.

Officials who have seen the surveillance video say that the fire at first appears as a bright glow until a “huge fireball” exploded into the neighboring structures.

There were no injuries, but two occupants of the building where the fire started, George Gray and his 12-year-old son had to evacuate in a hurry when they saw an orange glow and heard glass breaking and the fire crackling.

The St Joseph Police Department says they are not yet investigating the fire. Inspector Henrichson says surveillance video was of an old type that his team were unable to decode and view. That video was turned over to technical experts with the police department. Henrichson says that happened on Friday, and as of Wednesday evening, he had not seen the surveillance video.

Mr Henrichson was hesitant to label the fire an arson.  He says it took several hours to put it out, and then excavate the two buildings, which made it much more difficult to find the point of origin of the blaze.

The fire remains under investigation.