Fire Rips Through Downtown Department Store

Black smoke and fire was seen filling the sky in downtown Port Dominion on Saturday night sending two to the hospital and closing streets along the busy Jaguar Rd. corridor.

The blaze erupted around 9 p.m. Saturday, September 10th, on the first floor of the two story Boujee department store on Jaguar Rd, police and fire officials said.

Flames quickly engulfed the right rear of the retail area of the building where the fire is believed to have started. Shortly after flames were seen, calls were placed to 911 from store employees and customers and an evacuation took place. Metro Fire Chief Nicholas Philly said the fire took hold quick, aided by dry goods and a lack of a sprinkler system in the building. By the time fire crews arrived, the fire had taken hold of the majority of the first floor and had spread to the second.

The fire prompted a 3 alarm response from MFR and mutual aid from neighboring municipalities. The fire was extinguished in the early hours of Sunday morning. Two firefighters were transported to Oceana Medical Center with minor injuries.

The cause of the blaze is still under investigation as officials work to determine if it was an accident or set intentionally. Authorities are asking anyone with information on the incident to come forward. The Boujee remains closed until further notice, noting the building appears to be a total loss.

Photos courtesy of Krull Darkshine.