'Shoe store fire started long before explosions heard' – Zebalon A. McLean
This is according to Fire Chief Zebalon A. McLean, who explained that what persons probably heard were “concussion blasts” which resulted in glass from the store being scattered a significant distance around the area.
A person on the scene of the fire that occurred sometime around 2:00 A.M. had told this news site that at least four explosions were heard.
But according to Mr McLean, “A loud explosion was heard and then the flames were seen and it’s obvious that the flames had been present for a while. It was not something that was caused there and then because we took less than a minute to get from the headquarters to the scene, less than 60 seconds, and when we got there the flames were very high and that means it had to have been burning for a while.”
The fire chief confirmed that the shoe store seemed to have suffered a total loss while there was some amount of damage to Bolo’s Printery on the upper flat.
“I can’t speak to that right now because an assessment has to be done but they have suffered some damages,” according to Mr McLean.
He noted that there were damages to the printery’s store room ceiling, roof, walls and windows.
‘Fantastic job’
Mr McLean was also high in praise for the job executed by his officers who he said did an excellent job in saving the businesses that occupy the northern section of the building. “I have to commend them; they did a fantastic job because had that fire spread to the other part with the clothing store it would have been a mess.”
He said the officers also were able to stop the fire from spreading to the other part of the building’s roof. “If that roof had caught afire it would have been very difficult to control. Both the fire downstairs in the clothing store and the fire in the roof would have had momentum and we might have lost the entire building.”
He said to his knowledge the fire didn’t affect the building that houses Vanterpool’s Plaza, which is a few yards away.
Currently, there is a joint investigation being carried out by the Virgin Islands Fire and Rescue Services’ investigative team and the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force (RVIPF) and a report should be available by the end of today, according to Mr McLean.
He also complimented members of the public for their quick action as he said, “It was because of the caller’s quick action that we were able to save the entire building. If they had called a little later we would have lost it because they called us so quick and we responded under a minute. We realise that it was a fire that had been going on and it had crept throughout the entire shoe store and up through the roof in that section but those fire officers were able to put it out.”
Meanwhile, the estimated loss as a result of the fire is not immediately known.
When this news site inquired from relatives about the owner of the shoe store, Mr Hazem M. Bazar, who has been in business on Tortola for more than twenty years, we were told he was in hospital.
Hazem’s Shoe Store was upgraded some tree years ago.
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27 Responses to “'Shoe store fire started long before explosions heard' – Zebalon A. McLean”
On a different note I for one don't shop in tortola for purpose. The quality of stuff I'm sorry is not worth my money. I bought shoes a few times in Tola and after about 4 times wearing them they fall apart. I guess that's how they keep you coming back