A fire in Vero Beach has destroyed two businesses and its cause remains under investigation.
According to 25 WPBF News, Investigators say just after 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, a fire broke out in the commercial building at the corner of 21st Street and Eighth Avenue. Firefighters responded shortly after receiving a 9-1-1 call and were able to contain the fire after about an hour and a half.
The state fire marshal is investigating the cause oif the fire, which remains unknown at the moment.
WPBF identified Vero Beach Laundry and the Kidz Closet of Vero Beach consignment shop as the businesses that ere destroyed in the fire.
Indian River County Fire Rescue Assistant Chief Sean Gibbons told WPBF that firefighters needed to use two hydrants to extinguish the fire. He said crews originally fought the fire from inside the structure but had to exit the building and fight the fire from outside once there were reports the roof could collapse.
"They said it was deteriorating so we automatically for safety, being unoccupied, we backed out and then it vented itself through the roof,” Gibbons said. "Our biggest challenge was obviously the fire load. It got pretty heavy but we also had an apartment complex behind here, just right past the alleyway so we went toward the exposures and made sure people were evacuated because I had a vehicle fire in the alleyway as well and we had power transformers."
No other buildings or property were damaged by the fire.
