Fire crews maintained a vigilant presence at Fairchild Street in Bridgetown throughout Friday after a devastating overnight fire completely destroyed the historic Massy building. The blaze, which ignited at approximately 11:41 p.m. on Thursday, required an extensive multi-station response before being contained in the early morning hours.
Station Officer Roger Bourne provided details on the coordinated emergency response, noting that initial units from both Bridgetown Port Station and Bridgetown Fire Station were swiftly supplemented by crews from Worthing Fire Station and support from Tanker One. A total of sixteen fire officers were deployed to combat the intense flames.
While the fire was officially brought under control shortly after 4 a.m., firefighting teams continued their work throughout Friday addressing persistent hotspots within the gutted structure. Authorities established a security perimeter around the compromised building due to significant concerns about its structural stability following exposure to extreme heat.
“We have cordoned off the area as a precautionary measure,” explained Bourne. “This is an older soft stone construction that has endured tremendous heat damage, creating a substantial risk of imminent collapse. Our priority is ensuring public safety while we complete extinguishment operations.”
Remarkably, no injuries were reported among emergency responders or the general public. During the firefighting efforts, two individuals were successfully evacuated from the burning structure. One person exited independently while a 63-year-old man required transport via ambulance to a medical facility for evaluation.