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PROVO — The Provo fire marshal and investigators from the state Fire Marshal's Office entered the remains of the Provo Tabernacle on Wednesday to determine where next week's digging operations should start.
"Once they get their starting points, they'll come in Monday and start removing some the debris inside and working on the cause of the fire," said Gary Jolley, deputy chief for the Provo Fire Department.
Jolley said investigators have not ruled out any possible causes of last week's fire that gutted the historic building.
"We want to make sure the investigation is done thoroughly and done right," he said.
Construction crews continue to work to stabilize the west and south sides of the tabernacle. Investigators avoided those areas Wednesday while inside the building.
"They're coordinating some of the stabilization with the contractors," Jolley said. "They're getting the layout of the interior of the building."
Investigators are using blueprints from improvements made to the tabernacle in 1992 to establish the layout of the building in preparation for digging through the rubble, he said.
Stabilization work was nearly complete Wednesday. Crews are expected to take time off for the Christmas holiday before resuming work Monday.
Jolley said a 24-hour police and fire presence will continue throughout the weekend to make sure no one enters the site.
"We want to make sure people aren't allowed in there for their own safety and for our investigation," he said.
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