Fire at store again – Arson now suspected

A motorist saw fire inside Style Shoes Store a few days ago and alerted the police

Police are investigating what appears to be a case of arson at the recently opened Style Shoes Store, which is located inside the building that once housed Hazem’s Shoes Store in Road Town, Tortola.

Reports are that there was an attempt to set the building ablaze late last week – almost a year after the structure was gutted by a massive fire.

The fire services conducted an investigation into the first blaze that took place in September 2016, but Chief Fire Officer Zebalon McLean had declined to share the findings with the press.

Acting Chief Fire Officer William Penn today confirmed that there was a blaze inside the said building late last week.

However, when questioned by BVI News Online in relation to suspected foul play, Penn said: “That, I can’t confirm.”

“We responded to the fire and did what we had to do, and that’s pretty much it. Anything further in terms of investigation relates to the police,” he added.

BVI News Online understands that, about four nights ago, a passing motorist saw fire inside the building and alerted the authorities.

When the authorities visited the scene, they reportedly saw a few boxes of shoes on fire, a rock inside the building, and a section of the front glass of the store knocked out. Investigations are ongoing.

The same store was gutted by fire less than a year ago. At the time, it was known as Hazem’s

Drakes_650x200