For the second time in less than a week, an Amazing porn shop north of Boston has burned to ashes, too hot for even firefighters to handle.
The chain of sizzling sex toy and va-va-voom video superstores, where fans frolic with their favorite X-rated stars, may be victims of nothing more than bad luck.
“I’ve been in this job long enough to know there are times when there are coincidences,” state Fire Marshal Stephen Coan said yesterday after the Amazing Superstore on Route 1 north in Peabody went up in smoke less than 12 miles from where, on Jan. 16, fire reduced the Amazing video store on Main Street in Reading to rubble.
The cause of the Peabody fire, which erupted in the smut mart around 3:30 a.m. and so engulfed the single-story brick structure that the roof caved in, remained under investigation late yesterday. The Reading inferno, which also broke out in the early morning hours, has been attributed to electrical problems.
“There is no indication I can give at this time of linkage between the two,” Coan said.
An employee at a third Amazing locale said the company has not issued any statement to staff expressing concern.
“I could play conspiracy theory,” the employee said, “but I’m hoping it’s over.”
Peabody Deputy Fire Chief James Coughlin said yesterday’s three-alarm blaze just feet from Route 1 was so intense that firefighters “went right into defensive mode” to save two other businesses: World Class Billiards and the Misono Japanese and Sushi Restaurant.
“When I arrived, there was heavy, heavy smoke,” Coughlin said. “You could barely see the building.”
Asked if rescue crews were able to save any Amazing merchandise, Coughlin said, “I was never a customer, so I don’t know what would have been worth salvaging. But, there was nothing left. Everything was incinerated.”
(has ANYONE picked up on the fact that these stores are OWNED by Metro boss Kenny Guarino????……. hmmmmmmm, has ANYONE started putting anything together here??????????)