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Arson Caused Fire At Tampa Strip Club, Officials Say

TBO.com photo by VALERIE KALFRIN

The party is over for now at this Tampa strip club, where a fire caused more than $100,000 in damage this morning.

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By VALERIE KALFRIN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 28, 2009

TAMPA - Arson caused a devastating fire to the Platinum Showgirls strip club this morning, closing the establishment during a prime week of partying for the Super Bowl, officials said.

No one was injured in the fire, which caused damages estimated at more than $250,000 and also closed the adjacent Pink Pony Adult Superstore, Tampa Fire Rescue officials said.

Billboards outside the club at 4009 W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. advertised "Come Score A Touchdown Here" and "Super Bowl Bash All Weekend."

But the only visitors this morning were fire investigators, who determined that an "ignitable liquid" started the blaze.

Investigator Milton Jenkins said the liquid is undergoing analysis. There were two points of origin for the fire, which erupted about 4:51 a.m., triggering an automatic fire alarm, Jenkins said.

Firefighters found the flames being held in check by the club's fire sprinklers and doused the blaze by about 5:20 a.m.

Misty, a yellow Labrador that detects accelerants, recognized the scent of a flammable liquid inside the business and signaled her handler, Detective Mike Douglas of the State Fire Marshal's Office.

"She'll take her nose and tap where she's smelling (it) from," Douglas said.

Tampa Fire Rescue Capt. Bill Wade initially said investigators considered the fire suspicious because the front glass door was open when firefighters arrived.

Investigators propped the doors open with a paint can and a rack of newspapers while they worked.

Wade said the business likely will be closed for weeks.

"They've got more damage than can be repaired in a few days," he said.

Property records show the steel-frame building is owned by J.O. Properties LLC of Tampa and is worth about $1.2 million.

An employee on the property this morning declined to speak to a reporter.

The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is helping with the investigation.

Reporter Josh Poltilove contributed to this report. Reporter Valerie Kalfrin can be reached at (813) 259-7800 or vkalfrin@tampatrib.com.

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