The Crossville Fire Department has ruled the fire that destroyed the building housing the Cumberland County Election Commission last month as accidental.

Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which caused extensive damage and destroyed election supplies, machines, and electronic poll pads valued at more than $400,000. Fire Chief Chris South stated there were no signs of forced entry or criminal activity, attributing the cause to either an electrical issue or spontaneously combusting oily rags used for staining. Investigators were unable to determine the exact source due to the severity of the damage.

Fortunately, hard copies of voter registrations remained unharmed, and the primary election is still scheduled to proceed as planned on Tuesday, May 5.