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Fire outbreak at Plaza 34
In the early hours of Tuesday morning, a fire broke out at the Plaza 34 strip mall located at the intersection of 34 Avenue and 92 Street in southeast Edmonton. The Edmonton Fire Rescue Services received multiple reports of a commercial structure fire around a.m., prompting an immediate response from fire crews.
Arriving on the scene just six minutes later, firefighters quickly escalated the situation to a two-alarm fire, indicating the severity of the blaze.
Extent of damage and impact on businesses
Despite the rapid response, the fire caused extensive damage to approximately a dozen businesses within the strip mall, including an ethnic grocery store, a hair salon, a dress store, and a restaurant.
Professional offices were also affected, leaving many local entrepreneurs in a state of uncertainty. Mitch Carr, who has operated an orthodontics lab on the second floor for nearly thirty years, expressed his shock at the incident. “I thought I’d come in and see what’s happening,” he said, reflecting on the moment he received a confusing text about the fire early that morning.
Community response and recovery efforts
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries, which is a relief for the community and the businesses involved. Carr, whose lab is situated at the opposite end of the building from where the fire started, remains hopeful about returning to work soon.
“All I’m concerned about is getting into the office and getting my work done,” he stated. As the fire crews worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames, the community began to rally around the affected businesses, offering support and resources to help them recover from this devastating event.
Investigation and future outlook
As of now, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, and the total cost of the damage has yet to be determined. Local authorities are expected to provide updates as they gather more information. The incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by small businesses, especially in tight-knit communities.
As the dust settles, the resilience of the local entrepreneurs will undoubtedly shine through as they work towards rebuilding and recovering from this unfortunate event.
