NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. – A fire ripped through a popular restaurant Thursday morning along Flagler Avenue in New Smyrna Beach.
Firefighters were called to Ocean Breeze Tiki Bar & Grill, where flames could be seen coming from the roof.
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A photo shared by the Volusia County Professional Firefighters Association showed heavy smoke coming from the building.
No one was injured, but the building was a total loss, officials said.
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“There appears to be water damage downstairs. Not sure at this point just how much,” Lt. Mike Greene with New Smyrna Beach Fire Department said. “We had some hot spots throughout the morning that kept flaring up.”
A state fire marshal later said fire was caused by an accidental electrical issue.
Kevin Corbi, a manager at The Seahorse Inn, located next door to the restaurant, said he was still in bed when the fire started and mistook it for the sunrise at first.
“By the time I got to the window, I noticed it was a fire and also in that short amount of time, the whole second floor became fully involved,” Corbi said. “I called 911 - someone had already called. I think I was the second caller.”
State fire Marshall confirms this was an accidental electrical fire at Ocean Breeze Tiki Bar on Flagler Avenue this morning in NSB. The building is a total loss. @news6wkmg pic.twitter.com/H5c1rAbi5X
— Molly Reed (@Mollyreednews) April 13, 2023
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He also went out to check that no debris from the blaze had scattered near the surrounding areas.
“We hate to see our neighboring businesses get damaged like that. We’re all working together here for everybody. We hate to see that,” the hotel manager said.
Greene added that a lot of fire department employees would hang out and eat at the Ocean Breeze Tiki Bar & Grill.
“We’re friends with the owners. It’s a sad day for the town of New Smyrna,” he said.
No other details have been released.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more information as we receive it.
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