Fire damages Bass Bakery & Superette
…Owner commends Fire Service
By Stanford Conway
Editor-in-Chief-SKNVibes.com
BASSETERRE, St. Kitts – THE owner of a popular bakery and convenience store in Parray Village, St. Peters has commended members of the Basseterre Fire and Rescue Services for containing an early morning fire which caused considerable damage to his business premises.
Jonathan Bass, owner of Bass Bakery and Superette situated at Parray Village in St. Peters, told SKNVibes he received a telephone call sometime after 0500 hours this morning [July 5] that his bakery was on fire.
“Shortly after five o’clock this morning I received a phone call that the bakery was on fire. I left my home for the bakery and on arrival I was informed that members of the Fire and Rescue Services quickly responded to the emergency call. I must also commend them for containing the fire and saving the building from complete destruction.”
Bass said the fire started in the bakery and quickly spread to the Superette, causing damage to the roof of the building. He however noted that the building was “intact” and is of the view that the fire started because of an electrical defect.
“I was told that a loud explosion was heard in the bakery and I suppose the fire was caused by some electrical fault.”
He further stated that the fire tender was out of water, but the firemen quickly located a fire hydrant at the rear of the building and, at the same time, summoned another fire tender to assist in extinguishing the flames.~~Adz:Right~~
Onlookers however opined that the fire might not have spread to the Superette if the firemen had adequate supply of water. They labelled them as incompetents. But reliable sources at the Fire and Rescue Services informed SKNVibes that the fire tender has a maximum capacity of 1000 gallons and this was the reason for going to the fire hydrant and also summoning the other truck.
The sources also explained that because of the distance, they drove the fire tender to the water source instead of using a long line of hoses that would have caused more delay.
Asked as to the cause of the fire, the sources explained that it was too early for them to pronounce on it but promised that the press would be informed on completion of investigations.
This has been the second fire in St. Kitts in as many days.
Yesterday, at about 1450 hours, members of the Basseterre Fire and Rescue Services received a call that a building was on fire in Taylor’s Range.
According to a senior fireman, “we immediately responded and found that one of the buildings owned by Cable and Wireless was on fire. We quickly extinguished the fire and saved the building from being destroyed”.
He explained that the fire started within a section of the building used as a storeroom and noted that a number of old receipt books and old computers were destroyed.
The senior fireman also stated that the wooden ceiling of the concrete-structured building was extensively damaged along with two windows and two doors.
Investigations are ongoing.
