Investigators with the office of the Ontario Fire Marshal are focusing their efforts on the food court area of the main building at the St. Jacobs Farmer's Market just north of Waterloo, Ont., which was gutted by a massive blaze early Monday morning.


Five investigators on Tuesday morning were digging through through what was once the back of the food court, at times employing an excavator to move the rubble.



The team also used hand shovels and a rake to meticulously sort through the debris in some sections.


Firefighters were first notified of the blaze at the 24,000-square-foot building, which was made almost entirely out of wood, just before 2 a.m. Monday. There were no sprinklers installed in the building — that was not a construction requirement when it was built more than 20 years ago.


Damage is estimated at more than $2 million.


The market is a popular southern Ontario tourist destination and a prominent local landmark.