Crews demolished the Villa Town Motel on Tuesday, one day after two fires destroyed the building.
“Just kind of a mop-up situation now to make sure all the adjoining properties around here are safe,” Division Chief Steve Holland with Lubbock Fire Rescue said.
The code enforcement department deemed the building unsafe for any public use, and crews began to level the building soon after.
The city said the responsibility now falls on the property owner to clean up the piles of rubble left behind.
It all began with a small fire Monday morning that Lubbock Fire Rescue said was started on purpose. Hours later, around 5 p.m., crews began to battle flames on the other end of the building.
The cause of the second fire is still unknown.
Lubbock Fire Rescue said the building burned until around 2 a.m. before flames were finally contained.
While the Fire Marshal’s office investigates the cause of the second fire, they are still searching for a suspect in the initial fire. They are asking for the public’s help.
“We may not ever know the exact cause of the fire, but the investigators are good at piecing things together, and they may narrow it down to at least a few probable causes,” Holland said.
If you have any information regarding these incidents, you are asked to call Crime Line at 741-1000 or the Fire Marshall’s office at 775-2646.