A major fire on Water Street Monday evening destroyed one business and left a couple of others with major damage. The Sports Shop, in operation in the same location for 57 years, went up in flames as firefighters did all they could to save that building and adjoining structures. The fire gutted the top floors of the Sports Shop and spread to Velma's Place restaurant and Maverick Sports Collectibles.

There was smoke damage to at least three adjoining premises. Crews poured on the water as they spent the next 4 hours making sure the fire was prevented from spreading up and down the block. At one point Deputy Fire Chief Jack Hickey ordered his teams to evacuate the building when a small explosion blew out windows and it looked like the roof might collapse.

Sports Shop owner Frank Dyke took the blaze hard. He told VOCM News his feelings were not easy to put into words, labelling it a total and complete devastation. The business was open as usual Monday, but Dyke cannot figure out how the fire started in a third floor storage area. The loss of the building is difficult for Dyke, but it's the loss of the memories and history of the last 57 years that are the hardest. On the top floor was a wall on which each employee of The Sports Shop since its opening in 1947 had engraved their names, including Frank Dyke Sr., who founded the store along with businessman Arthur Murray.

The owner of the Model Shop was at the scene last night. Mike Howard's business was gutted in a blaze in January of last year. He says he spoke with Frank Dyke, understanding what the owner of the Sports Shop is going through. He says Frank Dyke gave him support the night of his fire and Monday night Howard was repaying the kindness.

"I had a lot of people come and help me out. They came out of the woodwork - a lot of people you didn't expect to - and everybody will jump in and help," Howard says. "And that's just the Newfoundland and the downtown mentality."

VOCM News and CBC Radio, Tuesday, April 13. Denis Mulloy.