A Vegas Drive convenience store was heavily damaged by fire Tuesday night by a fast moving fire that was fanned by high winds. The two employees that were at work in the store were able to escape without injury. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Fire dispatchers were notified at 8:00 P.M. that smoke was pouring out the Orchid Stop & Shop store and Shell gas station located on the corner of Jones Boulevard and Vegas Drive. When firefighters arrived at 6101 Vegas Drive, smoke was pouring out the front doors of the 1-story wood frame/stucco building and flames were visible through the roof at the rear of the building. Firefighters quickly entered the store, but found it filled with thick smoke. The high winds were blowing the smoke across Jones Boulevard making it almost impossible for motorist to see, so Metro Police closed Jones Blvd and Vegas Drive for about an hour.
Because the wind was fanning the flames and a gas station was involved, a second alarm was dispatched to the scene which brought a total of 34 units with 60 firefighters to the scene. It took firefighters about twenty minutes to bring the fire under control.
The fire heavily damaged the inside of the store and ruined all of the food products in the store. There was some damage to the roof and walls. A damage estimate was not immediately available.
Two employees of the store were inside working at the time of the fire. They started to smell something burning but could not find the source. A customer came into the store to purchase cigarettes and commented on how the inside of the store appeared to be hazy. The customer left and the two employees began another search for the smoke. The found it coming from a rear office in the store. They went to get a fire extinguisher and when they returned to the office, the smoke was too thick, so they evacuated the store. They said after they left the store they heard a loud boom from the inside.
Fire investigators are looking into what caused the fire; they believe it started in the rear of the store in the general area where the employees reported the smoke coming from. The cause of the fire is under investigation, undetermined at this time.
There were no injuries during the incident.
