It’s been a long day for everyone involved. Late Thursday afternoon, firefighters were still on the scene where a massive three-alarm fire destroyed businesses in a Carmel strip mall early that morning. Insurance agents were also on scene alongside the business owners who lost everything. Now, some are wondering if the tragedy could have been prevented.
"I don’t know why they couldn’t have stopped the fire when the fire department came out the first time," wondered Joyce Shoff.
Around 2 a.m. firefighters were called to the Dunkin’ Donuts located within the Carmel Walk Shopping Center, after employees said they saw and smelled smoke. Firefighters went up inside the roof where they checked the HVAC system. They say they didn’t find anything and left.
"They said they didn’t find anything they looked, they removed ceiling tiles and didn’t find anything and they even used a thermal imaging camera," said Firefighter Bruce Knott with the Carmel Fire Department.
Reporter: "So in your opinion, those crews did everything they could, in their power, to ensure it was safe?"
Knott: "I spoke with the lieutenant who was out there this morning and he ensured me that they did."
Josh Strong, who quit working at Dunkin’ Donuts just hours before the fire, thinks the fire department just dropped the ball.
"I have no idea what started it but they should have figured it out then and checked all the ovens that were on because that doesn’t happen out of the blue," he told Fox59 News.
He believes the store’s industrial strength stoves could have easily been the cause of the fire and he believes should have been more thoroughly inspected.
"That’s ridiculous. They should have caught it then," he said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation
