An early morning blaze Wednesday destroyed the Blackbeard’s Castle apartments in downtown St. Thomas, with firefighters battling more than four hours to spare neighboring buildings from damage and bring the conflagration under control. No injuries were reported.
Crews from Hotel Company responded to the scene at 45-46 Prindsens Gade around 5:16 a.m. to find heavy smoke and flames, according to a report from the V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.
“Due to the intensity of the blaze, additional units were quickly dispatched, prompting a full response from all available VIFEMS units on the island. Firefighters worked in coordination to contain the fire and protect surrounding properties,” the agency said.
All residents were safely evacuated, and no neighboring structures were affected, it said. The building, which included both office spaces and apartments, was destroyed.
Firefighters accessed the building from both the western and eastern sides and successfully brought the fire under control within 4 1/2 hours, according to VIFEMS, which said no injuries have been reported and the scene was cleared around 3 p.m.
The VIFEMS Arson Investigation and Prevention Team arrived after the fire was contained and conducted a thorough investigation. The origin of the fire remains under investigation, the report stated.
“I want to commend all of our firefighters for their tireless efforts in responding to this fire,” Director Antonio Stevens said in a statement. “Their dedication and professionalism ensured that all residents were safely evacuated, and the blaze was brought under control. I also thank the Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD) for their support with road closures and traffic control, which allowed our crews to operate safely and efficiently.”
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