Fire alarms rang throughout Cruz Bay’s popular shopping complex Mongoose Junction early Friday afternoon as smoke began billowing out into the street from the second floor.
Fire truck sirens quickly joined the noise as employees and tourists were evacuated from the open air, tree-filled shopping complex.
A fire broke out near The Beauty Lounge, with several unconfirmed reports claiming the flames began in a salon dryer around noon.
V.I. Fire Service officials were still at Mongoose Junction at 5:30 p.m. monitoring the area for flare ups from the blaze, which destroyed at least two businesses.
The VIFS investigation into the cause of the fire was continuing late into Friday afternoon, according to VIFS Assistant Director Darryl George.
“Arson and Prevention, and the Fire Marshall are there right now,” George said at 5:30 p.m. Friday. “They are still on the scene investigating the fire. We can’t make a statement at this time. Additional information about the blaze should be available by Monday.”
The fire was fully extinguished by 4 p.m., according to St. John Rescue officials.
“The fire has been put out at this point,” St. John Rescue Chief Robert Malacarne said at 4 p.m. “The fire started on the second floor where the salon is located.”
St. John Rescue officials responded to the fire after being called by VIFS officials.
“We were out on the road most of the time assisting the Fire officials,” Malacarne said. “There were no injuries that we knew of. One 
person was taken to the clinic, but we’re not sure what that was about. All three of our vehicles were there and about eight or nine of our volunteers were working with the fire fighters.”
“We were supplying oxygen tanks to the fire fighters,” Malacarne said.
Clearly illustrated in several photographs taken by St. John residents, The Beauty Lounge and St. John Brewer’s The Tap Room, located across from the salon also on the second floor, were gutted by the fire.
An office located on the second floor also appeared to be destroyed while multiple sources reported damage to several first floor businesses including North Shore Deli and Ocean Grill Restaurant. It remained unclear if Caravan Jewelry was damaged or how far the smoke damage spread.
According to several residents who were at the scene Friday afternoon, the fire began around noon at The Beauty Lounge. VIFS Cruz Bay fire fighters arrived and had much of the fire extinguished when they ran out of water. V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency issued an alert at 1:15 p.m. announcing a structural fire, calling all VIFS employees to action and asking pedestrians and motorists to avoid the Mongoose Junction area.
V.I. Police Department officials closed the roadway in front of the shopping complex from both the direction of downtown Cruz Bay and North Shore Road.
The road block was lifted for several water delivery trucks which arrived at Mongoose Junction around 1:30 p.m. to supply additional water to the VIFS. Fire Service officials also sent a request for a crash pump, an emergency marine pump used to push water quickly, often used for overflowing bilges.
A crash pump was eventually located at Tall Ship Trading Company in Coral Bay and transported to the fire around 3 p.m. According to Malacarne, VIFS officials opened the road in front of Mongoose Junction at 4:45 p.m.
Thick black smoke filled the road in front of the shopping complex and flames were visible from the second story roof before the fire was extinguished.
