The Antigua and Barbuda Fire Department is appealing for public assistance in its investigation into an early morning fire that completely destroyed a building on Old Parham Road on Thursday.
According to Antigua.news, the St. John's Fire Station received a report of the blaze at approximately 1:07 a.m. The fire gutted a structure located opposite the M&M Service Station during the early hours of the morning.
Fire Department Public Relations Officer Inspector Lester Bagot said three fire tenders were immediately dispatched to the scene — No. 19 from the St. John's Fire Station, No. 21 from the Coolidge Fire Station, and No. 18 from the All Saints Fire Station.
Upon arrival, firefighters found the approximately 40-by-50-foot structure fully engulfed in flames. Crews launched firefighting operations at once, drawing on water carried by the responding tenders to contain and extinguish the blaze.
Despite their efforts, the building and all of its contents were destroyed. Inspector Bagot noted that the structure had been undergoing repairs at the time of the fire. No injuries have been reported.
The Fire Department has since opened a formal investigation to determine the origin and cause of the fire.
Authorities are urging anyone who witnessed suspicious activity in the area, or who holds information that could assist investigators, to contact the Antigua and Barbuda Fire Department or the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda.
