Nearly 5èyears after a fire destroyed more than a dozen businesses in Hermitage Square Plaza, the cause of the multimillion-dollar blaze is still being debated.

A lawsuit was placed before a jury Wednesday in Mercer County Common Pleas Court. It was filed by three former tenants of the plaza against the owner of the building, Hermitage Development Corp.

James Stranahan is representing the three former tenants: Patrick Engrao, who operated an insurance agency; Stephen Moses, who had his dental practice there; and Howard J. Nagle, who had a dental laboratory. Moses had been a tenant in the building since 1966; Engrao, for 25 years.

The plaza owner is represented by Peter C. Acker.

Opening arguments were heard Wednesday, and testimony is expected to continue until the middle of next week.

The fire broke out against the south wall of a bridal shop in the plaza on April 6, 1998. Flames spread to other businesses in the plaza, eventually causing some $5 million to $6 million in damage and destroying or damaging 15 businesses.

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