Fire damaged a decades-old business in the heart of downtown Duncan on Thursday, with several area fire departments joining Duncan crews to extinguish the blaze and keeping it from spreading.
Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples said the fire at Fabrications clothing store, which opened in 1984, produced considerable thick smoke before it was contained by mid-afternoon.
“There was a lot of water that went into that building — it’s an old building,” she said. “I would imagine it’s got to be one of the older buildings left in the downtown core.”
The building is believed to have been built around 1901.
Staples said damage to the second floor appeared to be significant. She said she talked to owner Jane Spencer and staff at the store is in shock. “Watching your building burn is devastating.”
The people at the store “are a huge part of the community,” she said, adding no one was hurt in the fire. “Everyone got out, which is the main thing.”
Staples was part of a large crowd watching the fire and said it was a “heart-wrenching” sight. “Hats off to all the firefighters and the emergency response.”
Katherine Devine, executive director of the Downtown Duncan Business Improvement Area, said the organization “is absolutely devastated for Jane and her team.”
“The loss of Fabrications as a longstanding, very successful business is a loss for all of downtown.”
Devine said there was considerable emotion among those watching the fire on Thursday. “Lots of hugs, lots of tears,” she said. “It hits home, this is family, this is our downtown family.”
It was especially hard because Fabrications is a small business “built with love and spit and grit and determination.”
“As a BIA we are going to be supporting Jane and her business and her team in the future.”
Devine said it’s fortunate the Fabrications building doesn’t touch neighbouring businesses.
“It could have been so much worse had there been another store right there.”
Fire crews did a great job in keeping water on the adjacent E.J. Hughes Gallery to make sure it was safe, Devine said.
