McALLEN — The cause of the fire that destroyed Abellon Condominiums is undetermined, said McAllen Deputy Chief Fire Marshal Gerald Williamson.
Investigators, however, were able to conclude that the fire started in the kitchen of a second-floor unit.
While the investigation into the cause is closed, the investigation into whether the building violated city code continues.
“For the city, the fire code that we work under is the 2012 edition of the International Fire Code,” Williamson said. “Any existing building should meet the code that was adopted at the time the building was constructed.”
Abellon was built in 1976, so the codes that existed that year will determine what protection system would have been required.
Williamson said the 12-unit building had fire extinguishers and a few units had smoke detectors, but it did not have an alarm system.
“There were some areas where there may have been smoke detectors but they weren’t present any longer,” he said.
The fire displaced 47 people.
The city’s Building Permits and Inspections Department visited Abellon last week and concluded that it is not habitable in its current state, said Luis Vasquez, the chief building official.
