COLE BAY:--- A spark from welding that was taking place on the roof of Jobco Plaza in Cole Bay caused a huge fire early Tuesday morning. According to information reaching SMN News, some workmen were busy welding on the top of the roof when sparks from the welding entered a wooden structure that had paper products that quickly caught fire sending clouds of black smoke in the area. Fire Chief Clive Richardson who was on the scene confirmed that the fire started from a spark. Richardson said sparks from the welding entered the top floor of a storage building that is made of wood that had paper items stored inside. Richardson said because of the type of materials that were stored there and the fact that the upper floor of the storage building is made of wood a huge blaze resulted. Richardson further explained that on the lower floor of the building a lot of beverage and food items were kept there. He said because of that the smoke emanating from the fire was thick and black while some explosions were taking place. He said that around 2pm Tuesday afternoon the fire was still blazing but under control. Richardson said that the storage building is not safe and the fireman had to also safeguard themselves. He explained that the walls of the storage building are cracked and deformed and that the building has to be demolished. The Fire Chief further explained that due to the location where the fire was taking place it is extremely difficult for the firemen to pump water there. He said efforts were being made with the use of an excavator to clear out an entrance in order for the trucks to reach closer. In the meantime, the firemen were busy focusing on saving the Kwik Ideas Building. Richardson said he said that business suffered a lot of smoke damage but the building itself was not on fire.
Major fire breaks out in Cole Bay warehouse complex.
COLE BAY:--- On Tuesday morning January 23rd at approximately 10.25 a.m., the first of several calls came into the Emergency Dispatch of a fire which had broken out in the warehouse complex at Jobco Plaza and Kam’s Distributors. Both businesses are located next to each other. Immediately several police patrols and the Fire Department were directed to the scene to investigate the situation. On the scene the emergency services noticed that a fire had broken out at Jobco Plaza and spread into Kam’s Distributors. The investigating officers learned that the fire started while welding-repairs were being done, by a contractor, on the roof of Jobco Plaza. As a result of this fire, the entire interior of Kam’s Distributors was engulfed in flames. The fire caused a very large black cloud could be seen from far away. Police then closed off streets in the area, diverted traffic and kept the public at a safe distance for the fire department to put the fire out. Within short, the fire department had the fire under control and there were no more chances for the fire to spread. No one was injured during the fire. At approximately 03.00 p.m. the roads in the area were again open to traffic.
KPSM Police Report
Fire department responds to two Cole Bay fires simultaneously on Tuesday.
GREAT BAY, Sint Maarten (DCOMM) – The Fire Department had its hands full on Tuesday morning having to simultaneously deal with two fires in Cole Bay.
The Fire Department responded with four fire trucks and two water trucks to a fire in a warehouse complex in Cole Bay. The trucks arrived on the scene around 10.30am shortly after receiving the fire alarm.
The fire sent billowing black smoke into the air. The cause of the fire after an investigation is a result of welding that was taking place on the roof of the building. The warehouse belonged to a business and the building contained non-alcoholic beverages, lard (cooking oil), paper and Styrofoam containers.
Residents and businesses in the surrounding area were alerted by the Police to close windows and doors. Within an hour the fire was brought under control and contained to the immediate warehouse where it started.
A lot of water was required to bring the fire under control. Fire personnel used fire hydrants in the immediate area as well as two water trucks that it received from The Netherlands after the passing of Hurricane Irma and now forms part of the department’s firefighting assets.
On Tuesday afternoon fire crews remained at the scene to extinguish hot spots within the warehouse. The department was assisted by the Ministry of Public Housing, Spatial Planning, Environment and Infrastructure Management (Ministry VROMI) with heavy equipment, which was used to clear burnt debris within the warehouse in order to reach hotspots.
Fire fighters were not able to enter the warehouse because one of the floors within the structure had partially collapsed, and due to the heat, cracks started to form in the outer walls with the high risk of a possible collapse.
The Fire Department while battling this blaze received another call on Tuesday morning for an electrical fire at Paradise Mall in Cole Bay. A fire truck and crew responded from the Cay Hill Fire Station and this fire was promptly extinguished.
Prime Minister Leona Romeo Marlin and Minister of Justice Cornelius de Weever visited the scene of the fire in Cole Bay Tuesday night to get a first-hand view of the situation.
At the same time, the aforementioned would like to thank the Chief of the Fire Department and the staff of the Fire Department (men and women) for their successful actions in keeping the fire under control and preventing it from spreading to other nearby businesses.
The safety of the fire officers was of concern to the Prime Minister as she was informed that a floor in the building had collapsed. "Material items and structures can be replaced but possible loss of life is something that must be prevented at all costs, safety comes first," said Prime Minister Romeo Marlin on Tuesday.
Fire Chief Clive Richardson would like to thank the fire crews, Police and Ministry VROMI for the assistance that they rendered which resulted in preventing any loss of life and keeping the fires contained thereby limiting any damage to other nearby businesses.
Click here to view more photos of the Cole Bay fire scene.
