Friday, October 3, 2025
By JADE RUSSELL
Tribune Staff Reporter
jrussell@tribunemedia.net
A ROUTINE Thursday afternoon turned disastrous when Café Coco, once known as Cocoplum Restaurant, was gutted by fire yesterday.
The blaze erupted after two gas workers tried to fill cylinders, sparking an explosion that left both men with upper-body injuries. They were taken to hospital by EMS.
Chief Fire Officer Demris Ambrister said the police control room alerted firefighters to the Oakwood Bay blaze around 2.21pm. Two units arrived within 20 minutes and found flames confined to the restaurant’s roof.
He confirmed a local liquefied petroleum gas company had been carrying out work when the incident occurred.
The fire also caused roof damage to two other businesses in the Harbour Green Shopping Plaza on West Bay Street before crews brought it under control.
Café Coco was left completely destroyed inside.
Comments
birdiestrachan says...
This incident has happned before not to long ago
Posted 3 October 2025, 4:18 p.m. Suggest removal
Socrates says...
the filling of gas cylinders is a catch 22 that needs attention. having citizens take their cylinders to gladstone for filling is hazardous but filling at the residence, while convenient, is also hazardous. i guess blowing up buildings and the chance of killing people is a risk we have to accept.
Posted 4 October 2025, 9:58 a.m. Suggest removal
Porcupine says...
In advanced thinking countries the risk of blowing up buildings and killing people are minimized by education and adherence to safety guidelines.
Once people can read, and care about safety, that risk can be reduced to near zero incidents.
So, all we need is to care and to be literate.
Our challenge since independence.
Posted 6 October 2025, 6:55 p.m. Suggest removal
ExposedU2C says...
Kaboom!
Posted 4 October 2025, 1:41 p.m. Suggest removal
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