The cause of a fire at the Salt and Pepper Lounge in Demopolis appears to be electrical.

Demopolis Fire and Rescue Chief Ronnie Few said that while the official ruling is “undetermined”, upon investigation the cause is likely in the building’s electrical wiring.

“We sifted through the rubble and, based on what we found, it looks like there was a wiring problem,” Few said.

Firefighters responded to the blaze on Highway 43 just after 8:30 a.m. last Tuesday. However, witness reports indicate the fire may have started much earlier.

“From some of the people we’ve talked to, the fire may have had as much as a 90-minute head start,” Few said of the blaze that consumed the entire building. Few also noted that its concrete structure also added to the problem.

“A concrete structure like that just traps all that heat,” he said.