Fires at CVS, Publix shopping center cause severe damage in St. Pete Beach | FOX 13 Tampa Bay
May 14, 2025 8:13am EDT
- Investigators are working to figure out what caused a large fire at a St. Pete Beach CVS, which later spread to Publix and other stores on Tuesday, leading to an hours-long effort to put the flames out.
Timeline:
Crews initially responded around 2:45 p.m. Tuesday to CVS at 4685 Gulf Blvd., in the Dolphin Village shopping center.
St. Pete Beach officials said four people were inside the store and got out safely, with heavy smoke billowing from the building as the three-alarm fire burned.
A massive three-alarm fire tore through a CVS on Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach on Tuesday afternoon, forcing nearby stores to evacuate.
The drug store has been deemed a total loss. A spokesperson for CVS says people with immediate prescription needs can visit another St. Pete location at 3501 54th Ave. S.
Then on Tuesday night, hot spots reignited while crews were still on the scene, with the fire spreading to the adjacent Publix and beyond.
The St. Pete Beach Publix caught fire after an adjacent CVS was severely damaged by fire earlier on Tuesday.
Crews from several agencies worked late into the night to get the fire under control.
Some of the damage is visible from the outside, where multiple stores' front walls and signs crumbled to the ground.
Fires caused extensive damage to the Dolphin Village shopping center in St. Pete Beach.
In addition to CVS and Publix, businesses that have been impacted include the UPS Store, Hungry Howie's Pizza, Swim City and an AT&T store – all of which recently reopened after suffering damage during the 2024 hurricanes.
Despite the extensive damage, St. Pete Beach officials say no injuries have been reported.
While much of the shopping center remains blocked off, Gulf Blvd. is back open as of Wednesday morning. Still, officials are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation continues.
What they're saying:
"I feel bad for the stores and the employees. They've been through a lot this year. I believe this facility was damaged by Helene and Milton, so they've already gone through remediation once this year and they're going to have to go through it again," St. Pete Beach Communications Manager Marc Portugal said on Wednesday morning.
"It was terrifying," said Alex Sparra, who was near the scene when the fire spread. "I heard the alarms go off and all the people come out, and within five minutes the whole thing was ablaze."
Eitan Pearl, a longtime resident who visits the shopping center regularly, also spoke with FOX 13 as he watched in disbelief.
"I hope the employees can find relocation with their companies. This is one more straw. One more straw over and over again. But it's St. Pete Beach. We recover. It's what we do," Pearl said.
What's next:
Officials say all businesses in the complex will remain closed on Wednesday as a precaution. It's not known each of the businesses will reopen.
The Source: This story was written with information from officials in St. Pete Beach, interviews with neighbors and previous FOX 13 News reports.
