Stolen Fire Burn Queens statues. Photo Credit: DPNR.
ST. CROIX — The Department of Planning and Natural Resources has issued a public alert following the confirmed theft of one of the three Fire Burn Queens statues from Fort Frederik Museum in Frederiksted, calling on the community to help locate what officials describe as a culturally and historically significant work that belongs to the people of the Virgin Islands.
According to DPNR, the theft involved a handcrafted mahogany statue that had been displayed in the North Art Gallery at the museum. The department said the matter was reported to the Virgin Islands Police Department on February 24, and that an investigation is now underway.
The missing piece is one of three Fire Burn Queens commissioned for Fort Frederik in honor of the 150th Anniversary of Emancipation, a project initiated by the Emancipation Commemoration Committee. The statues pay tribute to Mary Thomas, Axeline “Agnes” Salomon, and Mathilda McBean, three women remembered as heroines of Virgin Islands history and associated with resistance, courage, and the fight for freedom.
DPNR said the artwork carries deep cultural and historical meaning and belongs to the people of the Virgin Islands.
In urging the public to assist, the department asked anyone with information about the missing statue to contact VIPD or the museum directly at (340) 249-0765. DPNR said all tips may be submitted anonymously.
“These statues are not just art pieces—they are part of our collective heritage; we ask the public to help ensure this important cultural artifact is safely returned. To those responsible for its removal: we strongly urge you to return it immediately. It belongs to all of us,” stated Fort Curator Monica Marin.
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