Airport temporarily closed due to gas station fire
Photo by Davion Smith/BVI News
The Terrence B Lettsome International Airport on Beef Island has been ordered temporarily closed because of the fire raging at a gas station in Duffs Bottom, Tortola.
“The BVI Airport Authority’s Rescue and Firefighting Service were dispatched to assist in putting out the fire at Virgin Islands Motors,” government explained in a media release minutes after 4pm on July 21.
The airport’s firefighting unit is now said to be en route back to Beef Island.
Government said the airport will resume operations once the unit returns and their fire truck refuelled.
Airport fire officers and firefighters from other locations on Tortola were whipped into action minutes after 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon when a vehicle in the designated parking lot of the gas station caught ablaze.
The fire spread to the office buildings of the facility.
Chief Fire Officer Zebalon McLean told BVI News the fire is now contained.
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That’s what happens when other Fire Stations don’t have proper equipment. Airport only has because has a different organisation behind and also because if they don’t have a proper service the airport can’t have international flights…
I tell you – Parker must have power. To actually shut down the airport and send their fire services to take care of this? Say no more! It’s a further example of just how far we have fallen as a country.
To fall one must first be on top of something. The BVI has been this way for years.
Thank you to the brave first responders. Stay safe!
Are we at a point where the airport fire equipment have to leave the airport to put out fires in the community? Just suppose there was an incoming flight to beef around the same time. One must now ask what has this government done with the monies from the treasury. They have not even secured anything to help this country. Not even what to save life. The hospital is crying out, education is in shambles, Imigration is crying out, now labor. We have to import tradesmen. Something is wrong. What has happened to ll the monies they got from FS. the agency they are now marching for. Stop fooling the people.Show accountability.
The issue is stupidity mixed with a dangerous level of self importance and pride. UK offered a very reasonable and generous loan and the BVI was too proud. And so, every single other island nations or territory has rebounded from last seasons’ storms but the BVI. I am sure some of the money going to what your government calls ‘infrastructure repairs’ should be going other places, example, firefighters. But when your leadership has an ego larger than their will or obligation to the people, you get this. Good luck. They have all of you convinced that you need to make a false choice between strupe A and strupe B. The BVI will never be what it is capable of without real leadership change.
The UK did NOT offer a loan. They did guarantee a loan, but are effectively putting us in a position where we can’t pay back the loan.
this is what you call a real mess up ,and still going on like non stop.
That’s worrying. Any serious fire and the airport needs to shut down? Strupes.
Thank You Lord!!
There could have been so many causalities.
If the Airport assistance was denied and the fire had gotten out of control the bloggers story would have been different.
It hurts to read some blogs and not hear any solutions to future situations offered.
God help us.
It is hard to wonder if God’s wrath on ALL OF US, is a result of the inappropriate reactions of JUST SOME OF US!!
Gosh!
Let us Think!!! Think!! Think!! and Pray!! Pray!! Pray!!
Residents refuse to get behind worthy causes affecting all residents, until catastrophe strikes. Organize public meetings to voice outrage and suggestions about the thing that impact the majority of residents:
Regularly running water
Well-engineered roads and buildings
Revamped education system and structures
Revamped police and fire stations and sub-bases/response
Revamp the electoral system & portfolios so that problems are solved for the entire territory and not by district/island/nepotism
U mean to say one fire and dem had to close the airport so wah happen to the flights that was bound to come in on that same time of the Fire sure it had some well we’ll Govt pls buy at least 3 more trucks on reserve u hear ????
Presumably they had to cancel all flights coming in and all flights going out. Can you imagine how many flight connections were missed simply because we lack basic firefighting equipment outside of the airport?