A fast response from local firefighters contained an unexpected late-night fire at the multi-use Abdo Building on July 26, 2026, stopping what could have been catastrophic damage from spreading to adjacent businesses and upper-floor residential units, emergency officials confirmed Monday.
The blaze ignited on the ground floor of the building, which hosts multiple commercial spaces at street level and private apartments on the upper levels, according to local law enforcement. The alarm was first raised at 12:44 a.m. on Sunday at the building, located at the intersection of Albert and Orange Street. When officers from the Criminal Investigations Branch (CIB) arrived at the scene, fire crews had already begun attacking the flames and successfully prevented them from spreading to neighboring properties or the residential spaces above.
In an on-record briefing for local media, ASP Stacy Smith, a staff officer with the department, outlined the details of the response and ongoing investigation. “The store owner told investigators he had locked up and left his business before the fire broke out, and only received word of the blaze after it had started,” Smith explained. The owner, who rents the ground-floor commercial space, confirmed that all inventory and personal property inside the store is covered by insurance, Smith added.
As of Monday evening, official investigations remain ongoing to pinpoint the exact cause of the fire. Authorities are waiting for a full forensic report from the National Fire Service to determine whether the blaze started accidentally from an electrical fault, or if it was deliberately set. No injuries have been reported in connection with the incident as the investigation continues.
This report is adapted from a televised evening newscast transcript published online by local media.