UPDATE: Two-alarm fire extinguished in Canal Point
8:06 p.m. Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Update, 8 p.m.: A Granado's warehouse fire in Canal Point has been extinguished, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue reports. Crews on scene are conducting overhaul operations.
The fire caused significant damage with a wall and part of the building’s roof collapsing. There were no injuries reported.
A fire broke out at a commercial building Wednesday in Canal Point. (Photo by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue)
Original story:Palm Beach County Fire Rescue crews are battling a two-alarm fire at a commercial building in Canal Point.
At about 4 p.m., crews responded to the 37000 block of Main Street and encountered large flames and heavy smoke.
A wall collapsed as firefighters battled the blaze, according to information posted on the Fire Rescue Twitter account. None of the firefighters were injured.
Check back for more details.
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Fire destroys historic Palm Beach County building
Authorities say blaze may have been started by lightning
UPDATED 7:31 AM EDT Jul 14, 2016
CANAL POINT, Fla. —One of Palm Beach County's oldest buildings was destroyed in a fire Wednesday afternoon.
Firefighters were called to the 12000 block of Everglades Street in Canal Point about 3:15 p.m. at what most recently was Granado's Used Furniture store.
"All you could see was straight up smoke," neighbor Trinity Nee said. "There was smoke coming out of the little windows, out of the doors."
Firefighters said flames had just started appearing on the roof of the building when they arrived, but smoke was everywhere.
"All four sides with the windows and doors, heavily charged smoke coming out, including the roof area, attic area, underneath," Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. Rick Batchelor said.
"You could literally sit there and see that the wood on the doors were burning," Nee said. "They were turning black."
Firefighters said they knew the furniture store had recently closed, and the building was abandoned.
Batchelor said he made the decision early on to only fight the fire from the outside.
"We had 50- to 60-foot flames, taller than the trees, for sure," Batchelor said.
A portion of the building collapsed, and shortly afterward, the rest of the building came down, taking with it a piece of Palm Beach County's history.
According to the county's website, the building had been around since the early 1900s. It was a well-known speakeasy and gambling den during prohibition.
Firefighters said the building's age is part of the reason why it burned so quickly. It was a wood-frame and ignited easily.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but firefighters said they believe it may have been started by lightning.
