“It seems to have happened in the alley next to Bravo. There is a place with waste bins. The origin seems to come from there,” says Lieutenant Grégoire Lévesque of the Trois-Rivières Police Department (DPTR).
Most of the damage would have occurred to the exterior of the building, sparing some of the restaurant's interior. The fire was brought under control early in the afternoon. The building was completely evacuated by emergency services and no injuries were reported during the event.
“It’s a shock, but we’ll get through it”
Reached by phone, the venue's owner, Tasso Roumeliotis, claims he is in “shock” at an event that is off to a pretty bad start in 2024. “I spoke to the owner of the building. We are waiting for the steps with insurance and all that, but it is certain that the restaurant will reopen,” he says.
“Yes, we had damage, water and the smell of smoke. We don’t know yet what the timeline will be, whether it will be a week, a month, two months, but it is certain that Bravo will reopen,” he adds confidently. The damage was reported to be mostly to the roof and some walls, which had to be opened by firefighters, but most of the store appears to have been spared from the flames that erupted outside the building.
“We worked hard. It made me sad for us and especially for our employees, who all came to see what was happening today. I will take care of everyone, this is my life. “It's a shock, but we'll manage it,” the restaurateur continued. “My goal is to take care of our employees because we are a family at Bravo and they showed me that today.”
The Trois-Rivières Fire Department's investigation continues to try to determine the causes and circumstances of the fire. If it turns out to be of criminal origin, the investigation could be handed over to the Trois-Rivières police.