However, the showroom and its contents was left untouched, along with several other business establishments in the immediate area.
And although a cost of damage could not accurately be given up to press time, the Guardian was told that refurbishing and replacing damaged goods could reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The fire erupted presumably just minutes after the store had closed for the day. No one was in the building at the time, and at least five fire trucks were dispatched to the scene.
Police Press Liaison officer, Superintendent Hulan Hanna, said the Fire Department received an emergency fire call some after 5 p.m. He said upon their arrival, they observed that the rear portion of the building was engulfed in flames.
As a result, he said fire officials carried out an “attack of the building. They were able to put in a water relay from the water hydrant out in the front of McDonalds. Right now, it is about 7 p.m. and you are seeing white smoke and that is a good because that’s perhaps an indication that the water is actually hitting the combustible material and this will contain it,” Superintendent Hanna said.
“Another advantage that this has is that because this building is not one business you have a series of compartmentation walls that are presenting natural fire barriers for the officers and so that is good and that is a plus. The big challenge for them now is to try and push a hole into the side of the building so that they can make a proper frontal attack on the fire,” he added.
When the Guardian’s news team arrived on the scene, scores of interested bystanders had already gathered at the site. Persons were seen parking and scrambling out of their vehicles to make their way to the scene.
It was observed that officers were making use of fire truck ladder so as to carry out an attack from above the roof, while others were seen using hatchets to break the walls of the back of the building.
Personnel from the Bahamas Electricity Corporation were also dispatched to the scene and were able to cut the electricity running to the building.
According to a female source, who wished to remain anonymous, employees left the store at about 5:10 p.m. and everything was fine.
“I know they were trying to get in touch with someone about something smoking and we were calling the electrician to come and check it tomorrow, but it was all turned off,” she said.
She reported that this is the second big blow the owners of the store will have to deal with within the space of a three-day period.
Reportedly, a 40-foot container accommodating thousands of dollars of items was stolen from the Palmdale premise on Monday.
The cause of the fire could not be ascertained up to press time.
By Keva Lightbourne, The Nassau Guardian
