A strip mall in Port Charlotte has been badly damaged by a fire that broke out early Wednesday morning.
Firefighters responded to a fire at the Rainbow Food Mart at 2350 Harbor Blvd. at around 12:40 a.m. It was under control shortly after 2 a.m. There were no reported injuries, though an adjacent business received some smoke damage. The front windows of the store have blown out and the roof has nearly caved in.
The owner of Herb’s Coin Shop, located in the same strip mall as Rainbow Food Mart, says he wasn’t too worried, despite seeing the fire spread throughout the building.
“I’ve been around 82 years, I don’t get too excited,” Herb said. “Life is life. You go on.”
Some people who frequented these stores, however, are feeling more emotional. Neighbors tell WINK News they heard a big explosion just before the alarms went off.
The state fire marshal says the investigation did not find anything suspicious, the cause of the fire appearing to be an electrical accident.