The Turtle Shack, a popular restaurant in coastal Flagler Beach, was damaged considerably overnight by a fire that broke out within its walls. The Flagler Beach Fire Department responded to the emergency and were still on-scene as of early Monday afternoon. The information available as of then was scarce, as the State Fire Marshal prepared to investigate the incident.
In one major piece of good news out of the saddening blaze, Flagler Beach Fire Chief Bobby Pace confirmed on Monday that no one was hurt by the fire. He personally sat at the building’s front patio on Monday with some of his personnel, waiting for the ability to further assess the damage and prepare an announcement for public release.
Pace also confirmed what many had speculated on social media, that the kitchen was a part of the area which was impacted by the area. More specific information such as the cause and location where the blaze began is still pending. The neighboring Jose Gaspar Treasure Co. gift shop was closed as of Monday morning, but Pace said it was not affected by the Turtle Shack fire.
The aftermath of the fire. ⓒ AskFlagler
As the community learned of the shocking fire at The Turtle Shack, thousands poured out their support on various social media forums. Locals expressed their prayers, well-wishes, and sympathy for the owners of the business as they work out the beginning stages of how to respond and where to go next. All of this support was not lost on the owners.
“Thank you for all of the outpouring of good vibes!” the Turtle Shack’s ownership posted to Facebook on Monday. “Nobody was hurt as we are closed every Monday. We will post more as we get more information.” They also thanked the responding fire personnel and shared that they only lost the kitchen to the inferno. Any timeline for the restaurant’s reopening is still to be determined, and will likely require significant further assessment and repair.
This story is still developing, and more information will be added as it becomes available.
