Invetsigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives observe the remains of the Adobe Building on Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. The accidental fire started in the kitchen of the Bear Creek Saloon & Grill, a popular watering hole in Pagosa.
Invetsigators with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives observe the remains of the Adobe Building on Lewis Street in Pagosa Springs. The accidental fire started in the kitchen of the Bear Creek Saloon & Grill, a popular watering hole in Pagosa.Shaun Stanley/Durango Herald file

Authorities declined to release further information about the cause, saying an origin and cause report will be issued in a few weeks.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is investigating. The agency’s definition of accidental means “those (fires) for which the proven cause does not involve an intentional human act to ignite or spread fire into an area where the fire should not be,” according to an email from Lisa Meiman, spokeswoman for the ATF in Denver.

The fire started about 1 a.m. Oct. 22 at the Adobe Building, 475 Lewis St.

In addition to the popular restaurant and bar, the building housed several other businesses, including a clinic for Axis Health System, an insurance agency and a district attorney’s office.