On a Friday morning, emergency fire crews were dispatched to XPZ Supermarket, located along Sir Sydney Walling Highway, after reports of an electrical fire originating in the store’s commercial kitchen triggered a building-wide smoke emergency. As of initial public updates, first responders have not yet released details on the total scope of property damage from the incident, nor have they confirmed any reports of civilian or first responder injuries.
This latest emergency comes at a particularly difficult moment for the supermarket, which only recently resumed operations at the same location following a catastrophic 2021 blaze that erased the original structure. That earlier fire, which caused an estimated EC$10 million in total economic damage, put dozens of out of work and left the popular local retailer without a home for nearly three years. A former XPZ employee, Tianzhao “Alex” Feng, ultimately pleaded guilty to arson for setting the 2021 fire.
The rebuilt XPZ Supermarket held its grand reopening on October 18, 2024, marking a major milestone for the business and its returning staff. Investigators have stated that there is currently no evidence linking Friday’s accidental electrical fire to the deliberate 2021 arson attack.