The t-shirt and souvenirs shop by Johnnie Mercer’s Pier went up in flames today after a fire started at about noon, fully engulfing the small building. There were no injuries and Wrightsville Beach police said the fire wasn’t suspicious, but the State Bureau of Investigation was on scene to investigate.
Wrightsville Beach Fire Department chief Glenn Rogers said that the investigation into the fire at King’s Wrightsville Beach will likely run well into Saturday. The fire was first reported around noon over the telephone by an employee. By 2:30 p.m., fire crews from Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington were still spraying water on the building, which was badly charred and had collapsed in several places.
King’s owner Yoav Kohavi said he opened his shop at around 10 a.m. and “everything was fine.” He was called about two hours later by an employee to inform him of the fire. Police said there were two employees at the store.
“They walked out right away, as soon as they saw smoke,” Kohavi said.
He said that an electrical unit may be to blame for the fire at the 21 East Salisbury St. shop.
“I think it’s coming from the corner from the electrical panel,” Kohavi said.
Wrightsville Beach Police Chief Dan House said there was a smaller fire at the location two years ago and that the electrical system had been updated since then. A nearby resident told the Lumina News that they saw a crew working on the panel earlier in the day.
The store sells t-shirts, beachwear, water toys and other souvenirs. Kohavi said that the shop had just gotten a new shipment about an hour earlier.
Town manager Tim Owens said that parking lot at East Salisbury Street could be closed this evening as the investigation and cleanup continues. The fire occurs as the Wrightsville Beach Fire Department is welcoming Rogers as its new chief, who just started 11 days ago.
email [email protected]
