Investigators probing two of Saint Lucia’s most significant commercial fires this year say their findings are increasingly pointing toward electrical causes, with authorities ruling out deliberate acts of arson in at least one of the incidents.
Fire Prevention and Investigations Officer Owen Cazaubon said investigators are in the final stages of completing their report into the March 6, 2026 Computer World fire after months of collecting and analyzing evidence.
“The Computer World file, we have gathered all of our data. We have done our analysis and we’re in the final stages,” Cazaubon said at a press engagement on July 2, 2026.
He revealed that investigators have now eliminated arson as a possible cause.
“Just for the public information, we can safely say that we have ruled out incendiary,” he stated.
According to Cazaubon, investigators worked closely with technical experts to identify where the fire began.
“So we got to the area of origin and with the assistance of the Ministry of Infrastructure, the Chief Electrical Engineer, we were able to get to the point of origin,” he explained.
He added that investigators have now reached their conclusions regarding the case.
“So we have basically concluded [the] Computer World file.”
While the investigation has highlighted the role electrical systems may play in commercial fires, Cazaubon said the Saint Lucia Fire Service continues to strengthen its capacity to investigate and respond to such incidents.
“As it pertains to electrical fires, I want to say of course we do have the capacity. We are growing, of course,” he said.
He noted that modern fire investigation extends well beyond responding to flames after they erupt.
“There are many sophisticated ways and again firefighting is a science and it’s not just when the fire starts, it happens before the fire,” Cazaubon explained.
He said investigators and fire prevention officers assess a wide range of safety measures designed to reduce fire risks and limit damage.
“So we look at fire protection systems. We look at both the active and passive means, meaning compartmentations for passive and you have the sprinkler systems, you have fire extinguishers and of course we have our suppression teams throughout the width and breadth of Saint Lucia in case we have a fire to which we can respond.”
Cazaubon stressed that protecting lives and property requires a comprehensive approach that combines prevention, preparedness and emergency response.
“So it’s multiple approaches in dealing with those fires,” he said.
The Fire Service has not yet publicly released its full findings into the investigations, but officials say the completed reports will help guide future fire prevention efforts and reinforce the importance of maintaining safe electrical systems in commercial buildings.