Blackbeard’s Castle Apartments Destroyed in Early Morning Blaze

An early morning blaze Wednesday destroyed the Blackbeard’s Castle apartments in downtown St. Thomas, with firefighters battling more than four hours to spare neighboring buildings from damage and bring the conflagration under control. No injuries were reported.

Crews from Hotel Company responded to the scene at 45-46 Prindsens Gade around 5:16 a.m. to find heavy smoke and flames, according to a report from the V.I. Fire and Emergency Medical Services.

“Due to the intensity of the blaze, additional units were quickly dispatched, prompting a full response from all available VIFEMS units on the island. Firefighters worked in coordination to contain the fire and protect surrounding properties,” the agency said.

All residents were safely evacuated, and no neighboring structures were affected, it said. The building, which included both office spaces and apartments, was destroyed.