UTICA - How did this fire start? Fire crews continue their investigation through Friday afternoon

Chief Fire Marshal Raymond Beck says a conversation with the two employees that originally tried to extinguish the fire has revealed that there was a welding project going on at the time the fire broke out.

One employee says they were welding on the high clone machine. Welding protocol calls for one employee to be on fire watch during the operation.

Although this has not been confirmed as the cause just yet, Beck says why welding can be a fire hazard.

"We call welding "hot work," said Beck. "Anytime you are welding it can give off hot embers. They were welding steel on steel so it does give off sparks."

Fire Marshal Beck says that a walk-through of the building will be the deciding factor in the determination of the cause.