Investigation continues in fire at probation building

Officials say it’s still too early to determine the cause of a suspicious early morning fire that destroyed the state probation office on Monday.

Reported around 6:10 a.m. by a sheriff’s deputy, the fire was already burning through the roof of the nearly 60-year-old building at 1845 Orange Road when firefighters arrived on the scene, Culpeper Co. 1 Fire Chief Stacy Carpenter said.

However, no official finding of arson has been made, said State Police spokesman Sgt. Les Tyler. He said investigators are interviewing witnesses and processing the scene, but he declined to discuss specifics.

“I’m not going to comment on any rulings or findings at this time,” he said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

More than 24 hours after the fire was extinguished, the ruined building was still smoldering Tuesday afternoon.

Wisps of smoke drifted from the charred structure’s shell as passing vehicles occasionally slowed to get a better look. Nearby, about two dozen metal filing cabinets were on the ground, their contents also still smoldering. In the driveway of the burned building, a sign in the windshield of a red pickup truck directed people to a temporary probation office across the street.

Meanwhile, the state’s District 26 adult probation and parole office is “back in business” chief probation officer Burton R. Laub said Tuesday. He said that even a fire didn’t manage to totally interrupt work for the 14 probation officers assigned to the Culpeper location.

“We actually saw a couple people yesterday in the parking lot,” said Laub. The Area 26 office is in charge of about 700 cases for people in Culpeper, Madison, Orange and Greene counties.

The office’s new address is 100 Saunders St. — directly across from the old building. A spokeswoman with the Department of Corrections said the new office’s phone number will remain 829-7369, the same as before.

Nate Delesline III can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 110 or