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Dec 9, 2003

Grocery shop goes up in flames

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Shortly after three o’clock today, residents of mile two on the Northern Highway became alarmed after they heard a series of explosions. A fire had broken out at the Highway Grocery store. Because the establishment is situated just across from the Shell Depot, people became nervous, concerned that the neighbourhood might be threatened. Jacqueline Woods reports from the scene.

Jacqueline Woods, Reporting

The flames had already done its damage by the time fire fighters arrived on the scene to save the Chinese grocery. The National Fire Department received the call about 3:28 this evening, but minutes after they arrived flames had already engulfed everything inside. Shauna Fang, who occupied the Highway Grocery, told News 5’s Patrick Jones she was serving a customer when she smelt smoke.

Patrick Jones

“Where was the smoke coming from?”

Shauna Fang, Fire Victim

“In the back.”

Patrick Jones

“And when you gone to the back what did you see?”

Shauna Fang

“I see the oil hot and I hail my husband to wake up.”

Reports are that Fang had left a pot of oil on the stove to heat, while she went to the front of the store to serve a customer. But after smelling smoke she went back into the building and that is when she saw flames shooting out of the pot. Fang apparently woke up her husband and he tried to smother the blaze by covering the pot, but according to Fang it did not work and the fire got out of hand.

It’s now up to the fire department to find out what could have caused the fire to spread. Speculation is that Fang may have thrown water on the fire or knocked over the burning oil. Although fire fighters were unable to save any of the family’s possessions, they did manage to save the life of the household pet. The small dog was found cowering behind a counter inside the burning building. The frightened puppy was reunited with his owners. Jacqueline Woods for News 5.

The building, which was not insured, was owned by Yvonne Franklin. The Fang family had rented the establishment for seven years.


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