BUFFALO, N.Y. — The Buffalo Grand Hotel has been "secured" by law enforcement after a fire caused $3 million in damage Thursday morning according to the city's fire commissioner.
In a statement Friday, Commissioner William Renaldo said "as the investigation into the cause of the hotel fire continues, the site has been secured by law enforcement agencies."
The additional police presence comes after the hotel's owner, Harry Stinson, said on WBEN radio Friday that he believed the timing of the fire was suspicious and "wasn't an accident."
2 On Your Side reached out for confirmation shortly after that interview. Stinson answered the hotel's main phone number but said he would "not be commenting further" on the cause of the fire.
Stinson did say that the banquet hall, which is where investigators believe the fire started, was undergoing renovations and was about to be finished. Stinson bought the hotel back in 2018 and has been heavily investing in it.
It was previously announced, that as of Dec. 31, 2021, the hotel, formerly the Adam's Mark, would be rebranded as the Ramada by Wyndham Buffalo Downtown. The hotel's voicemail had already been updated when 2 On Your Side called Friday afternoon.
An unmarked vehicle with police lights and another vehicle with police personnel was spotted Friday evening outside the Buffalo Grand.
During his swearing-in ceremony Friday morning, Mayor Bryon Brown called the rumors involving the cause of a fire "troubling."
"The owner has worked hard to revive that building, to keep that building open and operational, and creating jobs for the members of our community," Mayor Brown said.
"To hear that it was not an accident certainly is very troubling. That investigation will continue and hopefully, we will get to the bottom of what the cause of that was but it is very troubling."