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Crews clearing charred ruins of Abbotsford OK Tire a year after fire

Police investigation, insurance, environmental concerns delayed demolition after June 2017 fire
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Crews work to tear down the remaining structure of the OK Tire in Abbotsford Thursday morning. Rick Barkwell/Abbotsford News

The lot that formerly hosted Abbotsford’s OK Tire location is finally getting cleared more than a year after a fire gutted the structure.

Since the fire in June 2017, the lot has remained in the same state – a mix of rubble and what remained of the structure. However, crews have been on site this week, cleaning up the area with an excavator.

The movement on the project, which is slated to be rebuilt as an OK Tire, comes just two weeks after The News ran a story on the apparent lack of progress on the property.

RELATED: Cleaning up Abbotsford OK Tire after 2017 fire a ‘priority’ for company

“Many items have frustrated our ability to rebuild, some of which are: an ongoing police investigation due to the suspected criminal nature of the fire, insurance, environmental concerns and current updated building requirements,” OK Tire spokesperson Jaclyn Logan said in a statement at the time.

Documents obtained by The News from June 2017 indicate that asbestos was found with a “high” risk of exposure at the time, according to a hazardous materials report stating that, “All ceiling texture and drywall joint compound throughout the Subject Building should be considered asbestos containing unless proven otherwise through analytical testing. The ceiling texture and joint compound amounts to approximately, ~5,250ft2.”

RELATED: OK Tire destroyed by arson

When the project will move forward from demolition and into construction remains uncertain.