5 Things To Know About FL Shopping Center Fire That Destroyed Pharmacy, Grocery

ST. PETE BEACH, FL — All businesses at the Dolphin Village Shopping Center on Gulf Boulevard remain closed Wednesday after a fire that tore through the plaza Tuesday remains under investigation, the city of St. Pete Beach wrote in a Facebook post.

Dozens of multiple agencies responded to a structure fire at the CVS pharmacy in the plaza around 2:45 p.m., the city said. About 42 units responded to the scene.

Though the fire was under control in about two hours, it later reignited, and spread across other businesses in the plaza, including the Publix grocery store.

Here are five things to know about Tuesday’s fire that tore through the busy beach shopping center:

1. Reports describe a chaotic scene when the fire broke out.

As shoppers at the plaza first noticed plumes of smoke — first white smoke, then black — billowing from the CVS, they began “frantically screaming,” witnesses told 10 Tampa Bay.

There were four people inside the building when the fire broke out and they came running out, but were safe. There were no injuries reported, the city said.

As firefighters arrived on the scene — about 42 units — the shopping plaza was evacuated and Gulf Boulevard was shut down to traffic.

“I literally walk outside, take a look, and I see a plume of smoke,” Jerry Zamudo, owner of Beach Vibe Cycle, told Bay News 9. “I’m like, ‘oh, my God — what’s going on here?’”

• Also Read: CVS Fire Spreads To Publix, Other Businesses In FL Shopping Center

Many of the fire crews left the scene after the fire was contained about two hours later, though some remained.

It was a surprise to many when hot spots reignited and the fire spread to nearby businesses, including Publix.

Elisa Pisani told Patch that she was riding her bike in the area Tuesday evening when the fire reignited.

“It was so under control, a small smoke, and at sunset, it just erupted,” she said. “It’s a bit windy.”

Another witness told WFLA, “To see the whole building on fire was just tragic. You could actually hear the crackling of the things on fire. It was weird because it was different colored smoke at different times, so we didn’t know what was going on.”

2. The fire caused significant damage to numerous businesses in the plaza.

The CVS store is deemed a total loss after the fire initially broke out there, a spokesperson for the company told Fox 13. Those with immediate prescription needs can visit a nearby St. Petersburg location at 3501 54th Ave. S.

The fire caused extensive damage at the store, including a partial roof collapse, the city said. Nearby businesses were also thought to have smoke and water damage.

When hot spot fires ignited in void spaces within the CVS building’s front facade, where there were no clear access points, later that evening, fire crews breached the structure’s exterior using hose line pressure to reach and extinguish the flames, the city said.

Despite this, the fire spread to nearby businesses most notably the Publix grocery store, which photos show in flames Tuesday night. Other businesses also caught fire or suffered further smoke and water damage.

The extent of the damage to the Publix store hasn’t been reported yet.

Other businesses impacted include the UPS Store, Hungry Howie's Pizza, Swim City and an AT&T store, reports said.

3. Many of the businesses affected in the fire only recently recovered from hurricane damage.

St. Pete Beach was among the Tampa Bay-area communities hardest hit by Hurricane Helene, which slammed Florida’s West Coast at the end of September 2024.

Storm surge along Pinellas County beaches, including St. Pete Beach, reached more than 7 feet in some areas.

"I feel bad for the stores and the employees. They've been through a lot this year. I believe this facility was damaged by Helene and Milton, so they've already gone through remediation once this year and they're going to have to go through it again," Marc Portugal, the city’s public information officer, told Fox 13.

A witness told WFLA, “I helped some of these people through the hurricane, so I know what they’re going through financially already.”

4. The cause of the fire is still unknown.

The shopping center remains active Wednesday morning, as crews have stayed at the scene to prevent other hot spots from flaring up and to investigate what started the blaze.

The cause of the fire isn’t known yet, the city said.

All businesses in the plaza, even those that weren’t damaged by the fire, will remain closed Wednesday out of precaution.

A 24/7 livestream from the Dolphin Landings Charter Boat Center located behind the shopping center shows activity at the scene, including crews occasionally spraying the building with water.

5. The community is supporting the destroyed and damaged businesses.

Other businesses and organizations in the area shared support for those affected by the fire on social media.

“Our hearts are with everyone affected by the fires at Dolphin Village in St. Pete Beach yesterday. It's been a long day and even longer night for the community. We will continue to prove how resilient we are together,” Rick’s Reef wrote in a Facebook post.

Barefoot Beach Resort also posted support for the businesses on Facebook, writing, “Our thoughts are with our friends in St. Pete Beach at Dolphin Village shopping center. Earlier today the CVS caught fire — it apparently was treated but then the Publix caught fire and it is now ablaze.Please send good thoughts to those affected and the fire fighters working hard to extinguish it.”

“Our hearts are going out to our friends at Dolphin Village tonight. Thankful for all our first responders serving,” the Tampa Bay Beaches Chamber wrote in a Facebook post.