7th Avenue, Some Businesses Closed After Amphitheater Club Fire

TAMPA, FL — A welding incident involving the relocation of a disco ball could be to blame for a three-alarm fire that broke out Wednesday night at Ybor City’s Amphitheater Club, leaving two Tampa firefighters injured. That same fire has forced the closing of a section of 7th Avenue and several businesses near the club.

According to Tampa Fire Rescue, firefighters had to return to the club around 8:15 a.m. Thursday morning after code enforcement officials spotted smoldering areas during a walk through. While no visible flames were found, two units remained on the scene as a precaution, fire rescue spokesman Jason Penny said.

As of Thursday afternoon, Penny reported that city code enforcement officers and the Tampa Fire Marshal's Office had called in a structural engineer to determine if the building, which houses several businesses, is structurally sound.

"This decision was made with an extreme abundance of caution in mind and to ensure the safety of building tenants and visitors along 7th Avenue in Ybor City," Penny wrote in an email to media. "Additionally, the Fire Marshal has issued an order to vacate all the business on the south side of 7th Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets."

That order, Penny said, was issued to make certain all affected businesses are able to have their electrical service restored after the building is deemed safe by a structural engineer.

"Once that happens, each business must have a certified electrician conduct an inspection to ensure it is safe to have power returned to their building," Penny explained. "The fire marshal will then lift each order individually so that TECO will be allowed to restore power and businesses can open back up in a timely manner."

The structural engineer is expected to report to the site sometime on Thursday to start the assessment. Just how long that will take remains unclear.

As the assessment is ongoing, 7th Avenue between 16th and 17th Streets will remain closed.

"The safety of the visitors to Ybor is of utmost importance," Penny said. "Pedestrian visitors may still access businesses on the north side of 7th Avenue unless otherwise directed by officials."

The fire at the 1609 E. 7th Ave. club was reported to the city just before 8 p.m. Wednesday

“The first units on scene saw heavy smoke coming from the roof of the two-story brick building,” an email from the agency stated. “Three workers inside the building at the time safely escaped.”

Neighboring units were evacuated and a third alarm was called due to the building’s size and age, the email said.

A total of 20 units consisting of nearly 50 firefighters were called out to the scene. Two firefighters were taken to local hospitals for observation, but officials say they are expected to make full recoveries.

The blaze was deemed “under control,” the agency said, just before 1:30 a.m. Thursday.

“At this time it is believed that a welder was doing work to the ceiling when an arc ignited material covering the ceiling which then spread throughout the structure,” the email said. “The automatic sprinkler system did operate but was not enough to completely extinguish the fire.”

The Fire Marshal’s Office will make the final determination of what caused the blaze.

No further details are available at this time.

Image via Shutterstock

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