Late night fire leads to loss of two businesses

PHOTO BY KAILA JONES

VERO BEACH — The cause of a fire that fully engulfed and destroyed two businesses overnight remained under investigation Wednesday, officials said. No injuries were reported in the incident, fire rescue crews said.

Vero Beach Laundry and Kidz Closet are both a total loss, Vero Beach police officers said. The state fire marshal was investigating what caused the blaze.

Indian River County Fire Rescue crews responded to the fire at 9:18 p.m. Tuesday in the 800 block of 21st Street, north of U.S. 1, Assistant Fire Chief Sean Gibbons said. The blaze began in Vero Beach Laundry and spread to Kidz Closet located directly next door, Gibbons said.

Gibbons said the flames reached the attics of the businesses, leading fire crews to use elevated hoses from the ladder trucks. Firefighters extinguished the fire within several hours, Gibbons said.

Gibbons said both businesses were closed at the time of the blaze. Fire rescue crews returned to the site Wednesday morning to make sure the fire did not rekindle.

A GoFundMe fundraising page was created the same day to support the owner and her family. As of early Wednesday afternoon, more than $300 had been raised out of a $200,000 goal.

Photos by Kaila Jones and provided by Vero Beach Police Department

No further details were immediately available. 

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