The cause of the blaze was determined to be hot metal material that had been dropped from the Statler Hotel onto the Automobile Club building's roof. The building's structure required the onsite treatment of 750,000 gallons of PCB-contaminated water following demolition.
A fire broke out due to hot metal fragments falling from the Statler Hotel onto the Automobile Club building's rooftop. Following its destruction, the building needed specialized care for 750,000 gallons of water that contained PCBs, a situation that requires careful handling and treatment.