75.7 F
Charlotte Amalie
Friday, March 29, 2024
HomeNewsArchivesFire Guts Café Roma, Barely Touches Joe’s Diner

Fire Guts Café Roma, Barely Touches Joe’s Diner

Smoke rises from Cafe Roma. (Photo by Sen. Craig Barshinger)A fire Sunday gutted Café Roma restaurant, located on the second floor of a masonry building on Veste Gade in Cruz Bay, but Deputy Fire Chief Marx Costanzo said Joe’s Diner on the building’s ground floor got off with only a puddle.

The fire was centered between the restaurant’s dropped ceiling and the roof, Costanzo said. The roof and ceiling were made of wood.

“We don’t know how it started. It’s under investigation,” he said.

The fire didn’t spread to any adjacent buildings in the crowded downtown area. No one was hurt, Costanzo added.

The V.I. Fire Service got the call at 1:55 p.m., and firefighters and trucks from Cruz Bay and Coral Bay fire stations responded.

Costanzo said it took about an hour to contain the fire and another hour to wrap it up.

“It was a fight to get it out completely,” he said.

Smoke billowing from the building could be seen from the hillsides above Cruz Bay.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Keeping our community informed is our top priority.
If you have a news tip to share, please call or text us at 340-228-8784.

Support local + independent journalism in the U.S. Virgin Islands

Unlike many news organizations, we haven't put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as accessible as we can. Our independent journalism costs time, money and hard work to keep you informed, but we do it because we believe that it matters. We know that informed communities are empowered ones. If you appreciate our reporting and want to help make our future more secure, please consider donating.