ST. PETE BEACH, FL — Fire crews remained at the scene of the Dolphin Village Shopping Center on Gulf Boulevard in St. Pete Beach Tuesday evening after a fire that started at the CVS pharmacy earlier in the day reignited and spread to other businesses in the plaza.
Photos shared with Patch show that among the businesses that were ablaze by Tuesday night was the Publix grocery store.
Other businesses in the plaza include a UPS Store, Swim City, Verizon, Playa Bowls and Zenshi Sushi.
Hot spots reignited while crews were still there and the fire spread, Treasure Island Fire Rescue, which responded to assist St. Pete Beach Fire Rescue and other agencies with the three-alarm commercial fire, wrote in an updated Facebook post around 9 p.m.
Marc Portugal, the public information officer for St. Pete Beach, told Fox 13 that someone called 911 around 2:45 p.m. to report the fire. There were four people inside the store at the time and they all got out safely. There were no injuries.
At least 42 fire units responded to the fire, Portugal told WTSP.
The initial fire was under control within two hours, Treasure Island firefighters said.
The blaze caused “significant damage” to the CVS store, including a partial roof collapse, the agency said. Before the fire spread later in the evening, neighboring businesses were thought to have suffered smoke damage.
“I heard sirens earlier, but never looked outside til I was about to take a walk,” Chuck Majewski, who has been staying in a nearby hotel since his home flooded during Hurricane Helene, told Patch.
Elisa Pisani told Patch that she was riding her bike in the area Tuesday evening when the fire reignited.
“It was so under control, a small smoke, and at sunset, it just erupted,” she said. “It’s a bit windy.”
The shopping plaza was evacuated earlier in the day and Gulf Boulevard is shut down to traffic in both directions.
Other businesses and organizations in the area shared support for those affected by the fire on social media.
“Our thoughts are with our friends in St. Pete Beach at Dolphin Village shopping center. Earlier today the CVS caught fire — it apparently was treated but then the Publix caught fire and it is now ablaze.Please send good thoughts to those affected and the fire fighters working hard to extinguish it,” Barefoot Beach Resort wrote in a Facebook post
“Our hearts are going out to our friends at Dolphin Village tonight. Thankful for all our first responders serving,” the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber wrote in a Facebook post.
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