Multiple groups investigating fire at Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce

The investigation continues into the Saturday morning fire at the Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce building on Bladen Street in Beaufort.

Investigations into the cause and origin of the fire are being conducted by the Beaufort-Port Royal Fire Department, the Beaufort Police Department, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and about 20 agents from the Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to a fire department news release.

The building was fully involved in flames when firefighters got the call around 1:40 a.m. Saturday, according to the release. It took about three hours to tame the fire and the majority of Saturday to completely put it out.

The chamber building was under construction at the time and was about 90 percent completed, according to the report. The three-story building “suffered extensive damage.”

Firefighters from Burton Fire District, Lady’s Island-St. Helena Island Fire District and Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort came to help extinguish the fire, according to the report.

Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling said Sunday afternoon that he’s confident “no stone will be left unturned” with the team of local, state and federal professionals working on the investigation. “I just hope nobody jumps to conclusions,” he said.

This story was originally published November 13, 2016 at 4:20 PM with the headline "Multiple groups investigating fire at Beaufort County Black Chamber of Commerce."