POWELL - Eight months after a fire burned much of the Super 8 Motel here, the renovated property has reopened, but investigators are still working to determine the cause of the blaze.

Though the fire burned parts of the motel's roof and interior, it was rebuilt using much of the original framing, said Amanda Leonhardt, a motel employee.

"An engineer came in and determined the building was structurally sound," she said.

Parts of the building's floor plan were changed, including adding a new breakfast room and lounge area. But it generally follows the original footprint and has 36 rooms, the same number as before the fire last Oct. 27, she said.

The renovated motel includes Western-style furniture and rooms with flat-screen TVs. It opened to guests about two weeks ago, but hosted a grand reopening party Monday.

Leonhardt said work is expected to begin this month on a 12-room expansion of the property that will include an indoor pool and hot tub.

Investigators are awaiting test results from material samples taken from the fire. Rhonda Cox, 48, of Chugwater, died of smoke inhalation while trying to flee the burning building.

A report by state fire investigator Mike Sexton determined that the blaze began in Room 116 on the ground floor, and ruled out electrical sources. The report did not cite a definite ignition source, and said a chair may have fueled the fire after it started.

A woman occupying that room was found to have a blood-alcohol content of 0.19 percent, more than twice the legal limit for driving, while being treated at Powell Valley Hospital for burns to her feet.

Investigators have not released the woman's name, but Sexton's report notes that she gave conflicting accounts of what happened.

Powell Police Chief Tim Feathers said part of the delay in receiving test results may be because the Wyoming state crime lab requires that its findings be reviewed by another independent lab before issuing a final report.

Any potential criminal investigation would depend on what results are returned from the crime lab, he said.

"We're still pretty much waiting on lab results, then we'll do a review and see where we are and go from there," Feathers said.