Popular St. Thomas Attraction Destroyed by Fire

Mountain Top, one of the oldest, highest and most popular tourist attractions in St. Thomas, burned to the ground on Monday. The mostly wooden structure was ravaged by an intense fire that lit up the night sky with bright flames and huge plumes of smoke.

Firefighters battled the five-alarm fire for hours. No neighboring homes caught fire and no injuries were reported. The cause of the fire has not been determined and an investigation is under way, according to fire department officials.

At 1,547 feet, Mountain Top was the highest point on St. Peter Mountain above the capital of Charlotte Amalie, and was a regular stop on island sightseeing tours. It also served as a popular venue for weddings and receptions.

The site called itself the home of the banana daiquiri. Bartenders claimed that the original recipe dated back more than 60 years and that more than 6 million had been served as of 2007.

Facilities included souvenir shops, a restaurant, a bar and an observation deck for viewing St. John and more than 20 of the British Virgin Islands.