The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

SUPERWASH owners are still trying to assess the damage to one of its locations after a fire extensively burned the building early yesterday morning.

Dionisio D’Aguilar, chief of the laundromat chain said fire services responded to the Gibbs Corner and West Avenue outlet shortly before 3 am to contain the fire which engulfed the building’s roof.

Built in 1969, the building was the oldest Superwash location and one of five in the laundromat chain, he said.

“At about 2:45am, the fire began. The fire trucks came a short time later. About five or six trucks came to out the fire, which took the roof. They were then able to get it under control,” Mr D’Aguilar said.

Although the hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment inside the building were not charred from the fire, he said it was not known if there was water damage due to the fire department’s efforts to out the flames..

Adding that he is unsure of the time it would take to make a structural damage assessment, Mr D’Aguilar said it is evident that an entirely new roof is needed.

Neither could he say if the entire building would be renovated.

“If the building will take three months to repair then we would probably do that and open, but if it takes six months, we’ll probably not reopen it.”

Mr D’Aguilar said plans had already begun to build a new laundromat on the lot adjacent to the damaged location. For now, he said, planning will continue.

Fire chief Walter Evans up to last night, said investigators were combing the scene to determine what could have caused the blaze.

In the meantime, those employees who worked at the Gibbs corner location, will be placed at the remaining Superwash laundromats until further notice.

The fire, Mr D’Aguilar said, came at time when company executives had hoped to make a financial rebound as business had suffered as a result of the on going road works.

Mr D’Aguilar is among the many business owners who have spoken out on the negative impact that the New Providence Road Works has had on small businesses.