Fairchild Street fire guts old Massy building

Fire officers remained on the scene at Fairchild Street, Bridgetown, on Friday following a late-night blaze that gutted the old Massy building.

Station Officer Roger Bourne said the fire, which broke out around 11:41 p.m. on Thursday, was brought under control in the early hours of the morning. Crews, however, continued working to extinguish hotspots and secure the area amid concerns about the building’s structural integrity.

“The initial response was from the Bridgetown Port Station and the Bridgetown Fire Station, assisted by Worthing Fire Station and complemented with Tanker One. There were 16 fire officers on the scene,” Bourne said.

He added that the fire had been under control since shortly after 4 a.m.

“We are working with the hotspots in the area to make sure it’s completely extinguished, but we have also cordoned off the area because it’s an old soft stone building and we want to protect the public from imminent collapse, as it has experienced tremendous heat,” he explained.

No injuries were reported, but two people were rescued from the building during the blaze.

“One walked off on his own, and the other, a 63-year-old man, was taken to hospital via ambulance,” Bourne said.