VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — More than 75 Virginia Beach firefighters battled the heat throughout the day Tuesday as they worked to knock down a three-alarm fire.
It started around 5:15 Tuesday afternoon on Atlantic Avenue, according to fire officials. However, it quickly spread to neighboring businesses.
Bystanders watched in awe as dozens of firefighters battled the flames Tuesday afternoon. Almost 12 hours later, as the sun rose, crews started to head home.
Now, rubble is all that is left of the T-Shirt Factory, the Maple Tree Pancake House and King of the Sea.
Firefighters were up against intense heat and eventually called this a three-alarm fire.
"What we’re doing is rotating crews a little bit more frequently obviously on hot days. We’re used to the weather so we plan for this and we brought in a third alarm assignment so we can rotate crews a little more frequently," said Virginia Beach Fire Chief Ken Pravetz.
He said they were watching their crews closely.
"We have rehab centers set up so we can get the firefighters hydrated and rehydrated, but it is certainly affecting us," said Pravetz.
It wasn’t just the heat that made this a tough fire to put out. It was also the old structure.
"We’re chasing this fire because it’s spreading, because we can’t tell where it’s going because we can’t really see it," said Capt. Jim Ingledue, Deputy Fire Marshal.
He said because the building is at least 60 years old, it had several ceilings from the add-ons to the structure. So, the flames were sparking in what they call "void spaces."
"You get that area that’s above the ceiling, but below the roof and it’s almost impossible for firefighters to get to that space in a safe manner," said Ingledue.
Now that the flames are out, business owners and employees are wondering what’s next.
"They are a bed rock of our business community," said D Nachnani. "Atlantic Avenue is the character of our city."
Nachnani, owner of Coastal Edge and President of the Atlantic Avenue Association, said they want to do whatever they can to help.
"If there are employees that need temporary jobs for right now because they are taking care of families, we are here to help," he said. "We just want all the businesses to know that we’re here to help in whatever way and capacity we can."
Despite the massive amount of damage left behind, no one was seriously injured. One firefighter was treated for a minor burn.
The department is still investigating the cause of the fire.