Another blaze in Nuu'uli
Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — After witnessing the chapel of the Church of Latter Day Saints burn to the ground early Monday morning, residents of Nu'uuli village woke up yesterday morning to the sight of another building razed by fire.
This time it was a building that many have visited since it was built in the mid 1970s.
Located across from the MHJ gas station, it used to be called the Nu'uuli Shopping Center and was a hub for local businesses through the years until most of it was tragically destroyed in a raging inferno early yesterday morning between 5 and 5:30am.
According to an eye witness who lives in the area, it is suspected that the fire started from the kitchen of the MC Restaurant.
Kilisi Poasa told Samoa News that he was on his way to work and walking to the bus stop next to the MHJ gas station, when he smelled smoke and noticed that it was coming from across the road.
"By that time, the fire was slowly spreading and I could see that it was coming from the back of the building where the MC Restaurant was situated," he recounted. "By 5:45am, the fire had intensified and was rapidly going out of control spreading out towards both sides of the building."
He said that two fire trucks from the Fagatogo Fire Station arrived first and the fire crew fought hard to control the fire, but progress was difficult because by then, it had become a raging inferno.
He said it was clear that they needed assistance and the fire truck from the Airport Fire Crash Unit was called in to help.
Another factor which hindered their efforts was the absence of a fire hydrant within the immediate vicinity of the fire, so the fire trucks had to use nearby hydrants at the Stevenson gas station on one side and by the Shoe Tree and Western Union on the other.
The fire was eventually brought under control and extinguished.
Bystanders said the fire started around 5:30am and firefighters were still trying to put out the blaze in the back of the building later in the morning as it still smoldered. Director Save Liuato Tuitele said their department will conduct the investigation to determine what caused the fire. [courtesy photo]
Police were on hand to redirect traffic during the morning rush hour at the three-corner road towards the airport for traffic coming from the east, while traffic traveling westward were redirected through the turn-in going towards Lions Park.
The old Nu'uuli Shopping Center was regarded as the first mall type commercial building in American Samoa and some of the well-known local businesses that were housed there in past years include Transpac, Shoe Tree, Beachcomber, Matai's, TJ's and Rubbles Bar and Restaurant.
Ther latest tenants were MC Restaurant, an elei material store and a company which supplied building materials.