On Monday night, February 19th, a fire broke out in a laundromat business on Seagrape Drive, south of San Pedro Town. According to the island’s Fire Service, the fire was caused by an electrical issue. Although the volunteers and firefighters responded swiftly and managed to contain the fire before it could spread to other buildings, the wooden structure of the laundromat was gutted by the blaze.
Thankfully, no one was hurt, but unfortunately, the washing machines, dryers, and clothing belonging to customers were lost in the fire. The San Pedro Police Formation’s Central Intelligence Unit was alerted about the fire at around 11:50 PM. When they arrived, they saw several neighbors and volunteers trying to extinguish the fire, which was already out of control.
The building, a 20 by 20-foot wooden house with a zinc roof, was engulfed in flames. The firefighters joined in the efforts to contain the fire, which threatened to spread to a nearby restaurant and bar, a pharmacy, a barbershop, and a residential building. Although the fire did torch a section of the pharmacy building and barbershop, the firefighters managed to prevent it from causing extensive damage to the other buildings. A golf cart parked nearby was damaged partially due to the heat.
The fire personnel managed to extinguish the fire, but unfortunately, nothing was saved from inside the structure. The business proprietors declined to comment. The total damage estimate is unknown, and the cause of the fire is classified as electrical. Fire Chief Orin Smith noted that the investigators found much evidence that the fire started behind a dryer beside the north wall of the building.
The San Pedro Fire Service commended their personnel for their efforts and acknowledged the volunteers who helped contain the fire. They also reminded the island community to take advantage of fire safety training offered by the local fire station. The fire service emphasized that if more people on the island knew how to react to emergency fires, the loss of property and lives could be minimized. The last fire safety training on January 13th taught participants how to use fire extinguishers and handle fire emergencies. The island fire service hopes to announce the following fire safety awareness event soon.
