Fire damage at Piedmont Lumber estimated at $5million; cause still under investigation

Here are some updates coming in Sunday on the four-alarm blaze that destroyed Piedmont Lumber on North Main Street Saturday:

--The fire caused an estimated $5 million in damage, but the cause is still under investigation.

--However, investigators don't believe the cause is related to an arson fire that occurred last August at Piedmont's location in Pittsburg, and damaged an adjacent business. Although that fire was labeled arson, no one was ever found to be responsible.

--Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms investigators are joining firefighters in searching the large property, but Contra Costa Consolidated Fire Protection District authorities said their participation is common.

--The Contra Costa Times reports that the company's headquarters in the Pleasant Hill Executive Park on Taylor Boulevard in Pleasant Hill appeared to be vacant, with no sign on the door and no furniture or fixtures seen inside. The state Secretary of State's office lists that location as the company's heardquarters.

Two suspected arson fires strike in downtown Walnut Creek overnight; one knocked out services to some 40,000 Comcast subscribers

UPDATE: Police and Contra Costa Fire investigators are investigating two suspicious fires as possibly being related, says Walnut Creek Lt. Mark Perlite.

The first was a small fire that broke out at about 10 p.m. Wednesday at the Wendy’s Restaurant at 2955 North Main. The second fire, at about 3:45 a.m. Thursday, struck the Comcast Services Building on Arroyo Way off North Broadway. That single-alarm fire caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage to computer equipment and the building itself, the Contra Costa Times reported.

Although quickly put out, it temporarily knocked out cable services to nearly 40,000 cable subscribers, including, I believe, yours truly, who couldn’t get online at around 5 this morning, but could a little later this morning.