ST. THOMAS — A massive blaze tore through the Royal Dane Mall in St. Thomas on Thursday night, which includes restaurants, shops and even apartments.
According to the V.I. Fire Service, at approximately 10:45 p.m. on Thursday, V.I.F.S. received a report of a structural fire at the mall and dispatched two units and crews from Hotel Company to respond.
Once on the scene, the first arriving crews found heavy flames coming from the structure and initiated an offensive strategy to begin to bring the fire under control. Additional crews and units were called to the scene to include Ladder 1, V.I.F.S.’s ladder truck.
After a 4-hour firefighting operation, which included 7 fire apparatuses and 29 fire personnel, the fire was contained, V.I.F.S. said. Firefighters remained on scene Friday morning to conduct salvage and overhaul operations.
There were no civilian injuries, however, a firefighter sustained a minor injury to the forearm, V.I.F.S. said.
V.I.F.S.’s Arson Investigation and Prevention Unit was called to the scene and an investigation into the origin and cause of the fire was ongoing as of Friday.
V.I.F.S. Director, Daryl A. George, Sr., commended fire personnel who responded to the blaze.
“The members of Squad B, Captain Wayne Rhymer, Deputy Chief Eustace Grant, Fire Chief David Hodge, and all other fire personnel on scene did an outstanding job responding to the fire last night. They fulfilled the agency’s mission of protecting life and property, and I am truly grateful to them for all of their hard work,” he said.
The director also spoke of the agency’s ladder truck. “It was a great help to crews responding to last night’s fire. It was a good investment and continues to be one of the agency’s most valuable assets,” Mr. George said.
Among the destroyed facilities was Gladys’ Café, a well-known restaurant in St. Thomas frequented by tourists and locals alike. Some residents residing in apartments were left without homes as a result of the blaze. The fire was so intense that off-duty personnel had to be called in to help with containment.
Feature Image via Andrew Lawson, via What’s Going on, St. Thomas
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