It’s not every day you get to see a significant news event occur while you’re on the job.

So it was today around 6 p.m. when I noticed smoke billowing south of Street Toyota, where I work part time. I craned my neck a little more and then noticed flames belching out from the Town Square Village complex under construction at Hillside Road, just west of Soncy Road.

http://www.newschannel10.com/story/25959864/heavy-smoke-and-flames-from-town-square-village-development

I called 9-1-1, but they told me they were on it. A seemingly countless number of fire trucks began arriving and the flames were extinguished in about 45 minutes.

I’m not aware as I write this if the fire produced any casualties. I pray no one was hurt.

The bigger story, though, will be how much this damage delays the construction project under way. The fire didn’t consume all of it, just part of it. The damage, though, is substantial.

The project is huge and many long-time residents, civic and business leaders see the Town Square Village project as arguably the biggest commercial development to hit Amarillo since Westgate Mall.

It’s going to be huge. It will include retail shopping, residential development, some green space, recreational activities, entertainment … I’m probably missing something, but you get my drift.

The developer, Amarillo resident Perry Williams, is known to have some vision. He helped develop the Tradewinds Airport complex and much of the residential areas around it. He’s done well with his investments and as I’ve told folks all over town for the past year or so, Williams didn’t get to be so rich by being a dummy.

The blaze will set the project back. It should not stop it.

Let’s hope fire investigators learn the cause quickly and that the project can get moving again. Amarillo needs it.