Authorities Still Investigating Mysterious Fire At 9/11 Memorial

Smoke can be seen on a webcam showing the construction site of the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania on Friday, Oct. 3, 2014.
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Authorities were still investigating the cause of a fire on Friday that burned four administrative buildings near the 9/11 memorial to Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Saturday that the nearby Stoystown Volunteer Fire Company still had no official statement on what set the structures ablaze.

Both the headquarters and park superintendent’s office were among the three buildings destroyed. The Post-Gazette reported that a fourth building caught fire but was saved.

“It’s just a pile of rubble, except the one building they saved,” said fire chief David Johnson.

Some of the buildings contained artifacts from the terrorist attack of Sept. 11, 2001, including the American flag that flew over the U.S. Capitol that day, according to CNN.

“There is a potential for 9/11 memorabilia loss due to a fire,” read a statement from the National Park Service to CNN.

National Park Service spokesman Mike Litterst told the Post-Gazette that the fire began at 3:10 p.m. outside a break room. He added that he was not aware if any employees smoked cigarettes, according to the newspaper.

The Post-Gazette reported that gusty winds fanned the flames and caused the fire to spread quickly.

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