Wednesday, May 30, 2007

Fantasy Island of Tempe, AZ Burned to the Ground

"Firefighters from Rural/Metro Fire Department, Scottsdale and Tempe are still mopping up hot spots at the former Fantasy Island club, just east of Curry Street and Scottsdale Road, said District Chief Michael Long of Rural/Metro.

Long said two people were still inside the club cleaning up after it closed at 4:15 a.m. when they discovered the fire. The cleanup crew members grabbed some portable fire extinguishers and tried to put out the fire from outside the building, but were unable to do so.

Firefighters received a 911 call shortly after 5:30 a.m. and found smoke visible inside and outside the building. Firefighters quickly assumed a defensive posture, with the cause of the fire difficult to reach because the building had been expanded several times and had attics and empty spaces, Long said.

Long declared the 9,000-square-foot building a total loss, but said no dollar amount had been determined. Rural/Metro, the Maricopa County Arson Task Force and the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office all are investigating because of the high dollar loss and the size of the building, he said."

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