Cause of Hugo fire undetermined

Preliminary findings by a state fire marshal show that the cause of a recent restaurant fire in Hugo couldn't be determined, a city official said Friday.

Carpenter's Steak House, a two-story 1891 building on Hwy. 61, caught fire Jan. 4 and burned for more than eight hours. Fire Chief Jim Compton said that he considered the building a total loss.

Compton said Friday that he didn't know whether the extensive damage contributed to the difficulty of determining a cause. Such findings aren't uncommon, he said.

Bryan Bear, Hugo's community development director, said the city hasn't yet received the investigator's report.