The investigation into the cause of a three-alarm fire that heavily damaged a downtown Solvang building continues more than 10 days later as a huge clock now remains perched on structure’s partially collapsed roof. 

The May 2 structure fire near the intersection of First Street and Molle Way involved firefighters from agencies all over Santa Barbara County.

Battalion Chief Tom Himmelrich from the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said he asked the investigator for an update ahead of the presentation to the Solvang City Council meeting Monday. 

“He said nothing can be released at this point, but it’s under investigation,” Himmelrich said, adding he didn’t know when the agency might release information. 

“I assume he would say, ‘When we have something we can release we will at the earliest available time.’ I know everybody wants to know,” Himmelrich said. 

“A lot of people are already assuming what caused it,’ Councilmember Mark Infanti said. 

The city is working with building’s owner, now Jameson Elias Holding, LTD of Cheyenne, Wyoming, and an insurance adjuster to create a demolition plan, Solvang City Manager Randy Murphy told Noozhawk.

Known by locals as the water wheel building, the structure is considered a total loss due to the collapsed roof and extent of fire damage.

At 5:30 a.m. May 2 , two 9-1-1 callers reported smelling smoke in downtown Solvang, according to Himmelrich, who recapped the dramatic incident to the City Council.

“They didn’t provide an actual address or know what was on fire,” Himmelrich said, noting the callers reported a strong smell of smoke.

As dispatchers alerted firefighters from Station 30 to investigate, the agency receive more 9-1-1 calls confirming a building burning in the area, leading to a full structure fire response to send engines from Buellton, Santa Ynez and Gaviota.

Among the first responders to arrive, Capt. Andrew Wedel reported “a three-story vacant large commercial building fully involved,” Himmelrich said. 

Firefighters immediately launched a defensive fire attack. 

“For us that means the fire’s well-established,” Himmelrich said. With flames venting through the roof, firefighters didn’t enter the building, he added.

Instead, they set up around the site, working to keep the fire contained to the original building and avoiding it spreading to nearby structures.

The building sits next to a single-family home on one side. The Copenhagen House is across a side alley.

Across another alley running behind the burning building sits the Solvang Theaterfest which recently completed a major costly modernization project. 

Firefighters upgraded to a second alarm, bringing county engines from Los Alamos and Vandenberg Village, and a Lompoc Fire Department crew. They also requested a county ladder truck from Goleta and other equipment. 

“A minute later, based on what we saw, I added an additional ladder truck which came from the city of Santa Maria,” Himmelrich said. 

Another request brought an additional engine from Santa Maria along with engines from Montecito, Santa Barbara and Vandenberg Space Force Base.

Authorities evacuated every occupied building within a block as a precaution and set up road closures one-to-two blocks away with the help of law enforcement officers.

The fire investigator arrived in 30 minutes and launched a drone, capturing incredible images of the blaze.

While crews had knocked down the bulk of the fire roughly 45 minutes after arriving, they continued to dump water onto the structure, using the ladder trucks to direct the streams.

In total, the incident involved 12 fire engines, two ladder trucks, an air and light unit, an ambulance, sheriff’s deputies, city public works employees, water workers and more. 

“I’d like to thank you and your team for an awesome response putting it out and saving all the properties around it,” Mayor David Brown said. 

Since 2022, the water wheel building has been at the heart of a civil lawsuit against the city of Solvang. The case was filed by the previous owner, South Coast Property Company 13-B LP, over a proposed development project for the site.

A month before the fire, attorneys for Solvang and South Coast met in Santa Barbara County Superior Court and reported mediation efforts weren’t successful.

That case will return to Judge Jed Beebe’s courtroom on July 9.