South Tampa fire damages 4 businesses, owners face long recovery
TAMPA, Fla. - A batch of businesses in South Tampa are on a long road to recovery after a fire.
South Tampa plaza fire
What we know:
Owners say faulty wiring led to one business burning and three others suffering heavy smoke damage Saturday.
Anna Lucia Richardson, the owner of Anna Lucia Events, says her business will survive because her employees can work remotely. She is highly concerned about the employees of Wise Women Fitness and Salon T Mackay because they have clients in-house.
Richardson is urging the community to step up to help them.
Fire damage
The backstory:
It happened on Saturday afternoon on the 3300 block of South Westshore Boulevard, just south of Leona Street.
The fire gutted the offices of Anna Lucia Events. But it also caused smoke damage to the businesses next door, including Wise Women Fitness and Salon T Mackay.
The event planning business is able to operate remotely for the time being.
Business recovery
What they're saying:
But Richardson says the other two businesses need help, especially because they just got back on their feet from the 2024 hurricanes, which caused extensive damage to their stores.
"If we could help them find some temporary space, alleviate some of these costs for them, but also keep their clientele in a good situation," Richardson said. "The one thing too, while they didn't have any fire damage, they had severe smoke damage in their units. So, it's gonna take months before they're able to get back in there."
Lynn Valaes, owner of Wise Women Fitness, says she had just regained more than half of the client base that she lost when the hurricanes hit.
"Wise Women Fitness is very different from your average gym," Valaes said. "We work with a lot of ladies that are older, over 50. So, we provide a safe space that is kind of a sanctuary. And without this, I don't [know] what we're going to do."
Business repair timeline
What's next:
Richardson says she will continue with virtual appointments until she can find a space to bring her clients.
The businesses are expecting that repairs will take more than six months.
If the owner of the salon hadn't been here to call 911, Valaes and Richardson are certain the entire building would have been lost.
Official fire cause investigation
What we don't know:
Fire officials have not released an official cause report, though business owners state faulty wiring likely triggered the blaze.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from interviews with Anna Lucia Events owner Anna Lucia Richardson and Wise Women Fitness owner Lynn Valaes.