Belforest Commercial Building Fire Damages Several Businesses
By Rick McCann
Blue RAM Media/Gulf Region News
July 29, 2026
BELFOREST COMMUNITY, Ala. Several people driving southbound on State Highway 181 Tuesday morning just before 8 a.m. noticed heavy black smoke pouring out of a commercial building on the west side of the road and called 911 as did employees of a nearby business.
Troy, one of those employees working nearby, said he noticed the smoke and then some flames as he was getting out of his vehicle and it was really starting to roll out over the top of the pull-up doors, so he called 911.
The fire brought multiple fire departments including the Belforest Volunteer Fire Department, Daphne, Fairhope, Loxley and others as part of an automatic mutual-aid response while other firefighters also provided fire coverage for the departments that had responded to the fire scene.
Belforest firefighters, who were the first to arrive, said that there was heavy smoke and flames rolling out of the building when they arrived on scene and that they quickly popped open the doors and began an internal attack on the fire.
“Fully involved. A lot of black smoke showing,” Belforest Battalion Chief Ethan Bertagnolli said.
There was no one inside at the time that the fire broke out, according to firefighters.
According to another business owner nearby, one side of the building did golf cart repairs and there are multiple other businesses on both sides of the metal framed structure.
Some of those businesses suffered smoke and water damage and have been left without power and may not be able to reopen for a week or more.
At this time the fire marshal is investigating the cause of the fire.
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