Florida Connectz-Fire reignites at St. Pete Beach shopping plaza

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A fire has reignited at the Dolphin Village Plaza in St. Pete Beach that initially engulfed a CVS.

Crews battled the three-alarm fire for hours Tuesday afternoon, and were back at it Tuesday night.

The exteriors of several other businesses could be seen damaged, including a Publix, UPS Store, Hungry Howie’s Pizza and an AT&T Store.

Even before this latest round of flames, a St. Pete Beach spokesperson said the CVS was a total loss.

Crews from multiple cities helped get the fire under control earlier today.

“I literally walk outside, take a look, and I see a plume of smoke,” said Jerry Zamudo, owner of Beach Vibe Cycle. “I’m like, ‘oh, my God – what’s going on here?'”

Zamudo’s business is on the other side of the plaza from CVS.

“It was pretty intense,” he said. “At one point, there was a distinct smell, almost like a copper smell, in the air.”

Susan Hilton, a frequent customer of the CVS, found out about the fire like Zamudo did, but from a little farther away.

“Well, I come here almost every day. It’s my favorite store, and I get my prescriptions here,” she said. “I saw the big, black smoke from Fort De Soto beach, and I thought, ‘what the heck is going on over there?'”

She says she planned to stop by Tuesday to pick up prescriptions, but that’s not her main concern.

“Just sad because I know the people in this store, and I’ve been living in this area for 17 years. So, it’s sad,” said Hilton.

A city spokesperson said no injuries were reported as of Tuesday evening.

There is also no word on what caused the fire.

A spokesperson for CVS says people with immediate prescription needs can visit the store at 3501 54th Avenue South.

Officials ask the public to avoid the area at this time.

This is a developing story. Stay with Spectrum Bay News 9 on-air, online, and with our app for more updates.