Investigators Seek Cause of FL Strip Mall Fire

The state fire marshal is investigating a suspicious fire that gutted Beville Nutrition and at least damaged other stores in the Village Plaza Shopping Center, next to an Aldi grocery store off Beville Road in Daytona Beach.

The large fire began about 4 a.m. on Thanksgiving Day at Beville Nutrition in the strip shopping center at 1104 Beville Road, according to a release from Daytona Beach Fire Department spokesperson Sasha Staton.

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A police officer who was working at the Walmart across Beville Road spotted the flames and reported the fire, Staton said.

The fire destroyed one shop and damaged several others.

No firefighters were injured and a total of 10 firefighting units responded, including assistance from South Daytona and Port Orange, Staton wrote. The fire took two hours to extinguish, but firefighters were on scene for about six hours to clean up and to conduct a preliminary investigation, Staton said.

The state Fire Marshal's Office is investigating.

"This fire investigation is open and ongoing and no additional details are available at this time," wrote John O'Brien, press secretary for Florida's Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, who oversees the state Fire Marshal's Office.

The shopping center was listed for sale at $2.9 million by Cohen Commercial Real Estate in North Palm Beach. A person who responded to a call to the real estate office and gave her name as Christina declined to comment.

Business owner plans to reopen

The fire destroyed Beville Nutrition, which according to a Facebook post and corporate records was operated in part by Andrea Paez of Holly Hill.

Paez could not be reached for comment.

Paez posted on Facebook at 8:45 a.m. Thanksgiving Day about the fire along with photos of the ruined store which, according to its website, had a counter and seating and sold products such as teas and shakes marketed to improve health.

Firefighters worked for two hours to bring the fire under control and remained on scene for six hours.

“Today our business got a little warmer than usual and now is gone!” Paez posted. “However our desire and our willing [SIC] to do what it takes to help people get healthier is bigger than this!

“Thank you everyone who has reached out to show love and support not gonna lie standing there watching your business where family comes together Breaks my heart and my soul however Gods purpose is bigger than us and I understand that,” Paez wrote.

Paez was not letting the fire keep her down and she wrote that she planned to reopen.

"I am grateful for water and I am grateful for fire! Stay tuned new Location is coming up ....... Deliveries will be available," she wrote.

The fire at Beville Nutrition spread and at least damaged some other units at the strip center, which does not have a sprinkler fire suppression system, Staton's press release said.

Many of the units were not being leased, the release said. All the units were unoccupied and closed at the time of the fire.

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