Two Businesses Damaged by Weekend Fire
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Joe [email protected]
Warsaw firefighters responded to a call at 3:38 a.m. Sunday of a fire at the Cigarrettes Plus store on Lake Street. Crews arrived on scene to find heavy smoke and the fire spreading to Avila’s Grocery and Taqueria next door in the same complex. Upon entering the building, firefighters immediately went into defensive mode.
“They did a very good job of getting the fire stopped,” said Warsaw-Wayne Fire chief Mike Brubaker. “They were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the laundromat” beside the grocery store.
A full assist was provided by Winona Lake, Pierceton, Atwood, Claypool and Leesburg fire departments, with a manpower request from North Webster. The American Red Cross provided rehab and meals to nearly 60 firefighers.
Crews were on scene for approximately eight hours.
Due to the high content loss in both businesses, the state fire marshal’s office was called in to assist in the investigation.
The Avila family are unsure if they will reopen their store, which has been in business for eight years.
“We are facing such a great loss of material things, but overall with it burned down dreams, hopes, pride, jobs, income, security, time invested and memories,” they wrote in a letter to the Times-Union. “We do not know if we will be restoring our business. We leave things in God’s hands.”
A dollar amount on the damage will take a few days to figure, according to Brubaker, pending investigation by both Warsaw Fire and the state fire marshal. Cigarette Plus was a total loss while Avila’s is currently assessed as a near-total loss.[[In-content Ad]]
Warsaw firefighters responded to a call at 3:38 a.m. Sunday of a fire at the Cigarrettes Plus store on Lake Street. Crews arrived on scene to find heavy smoke and the fire spreading to Avila’s Grocery and Taqueria next door in the same complex. Upon entering the building, firefighters immediately went into defensive mode.
“They did a very good job of getting the fire stopped,” said Warsaw-Wayne Fire chief Mike Brubaker. “They were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the laundromat” beside the grocery store.
A full assist was provided by Winona Lake, Pierceton, Atwood, Claypool and Leesburg fire departments, with a manpower request from North Webster. The American Red Cross provided rehab and meals to nearly 60 firefighers.
Crews were on scene for approximately eight hours.
Due to the high content loss in both businesses, the state fire marshal’s office was called in to assist in the investigation.
The Avila family are unsure if they will reopen their store, which has been in business for eight years.
“We are facing such a great loss of material things, but overall with it burned down dreams, hopes, pride, jobs, income, security, time invested and memories,” they wrote in a letter to the Times-Union. “We do not know if we will be restoring our business. We leave things in God’s hands.”
A dollar amount on the damage will take a few days to figure, according to Brubaker, pending investigation by both Warsaw Fire and the state fire marshal. Cigarette Plus was a total loss while Avila’s is currently assessed as a near-total loss.[[In-content Ad]]
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