Salon Sets Up Temporary Home After Downtown Fire
By Doug Carder
Donna Broce has set up Mi’Lady’s Hair Care & Nail Salon temporarily at 559 Main St. after a fire gutted her business last week.
“I lost most of it. The fire wasn’t big, but everything melted,” Broce said of the contents of her former shop at 535 Main St.
The fire broke out about 10 p.m. Dec. 27 at the downtown business. A passing resident noticed the smoke and contacted the Osawatomie Police Department, and police officers and firefighters responded to the scene.
The first officers on the scene noticed the windows were darkened by smoke and they could feel heat through the door, Osawatomie Fire Chief DuWayne Tewes said.
“When firefighters forced entry they found heavy smoke and high heat conditions. Smoke was banked down to approximately two feet off the floor,” Tewes said in a press release. “The initial attack found fire about midway in the business. They (firefighters) were able to quickly control the fire and vent the smoke and heat.”
Tewes said the Paola Fire Department’s aerial fire truck was requested in the event the blaze spread beyond the building.
Osawatomie firefighters prevented the fire from spreading to neighboring businesses.
Tewes said that while a point of origin has been established, the cause of the fire has yet to be determined. The Kansas Fire Marshal’s Office is assisting with the investigation. The fire is not considered to be suspicious in nature.
The initial damage estimate for both the building and its contents was $100,000. Tewes said the adjoining Radio Shack business, 537 Main St., sustained some smoke damage.
Radio Shack owner Curtis Gibson was using a HEPA Defendair machine last week to clear the air of the lingering smoke smell.
Gibson said he heard about the fire on the scanner at his home in Linn County and rushed to the site to unlock the doors for emergency personnel.
“I called the police while on the way to let them know I was coming,” Gibson said.
One week later, Broce was at work in her new location up the block in the former Above the Collar shop.
“My clients have been wonderful, and so have all the business owners,” she said. “They’ve been very supportive and have really helped me out.”
Broce does not have set business hours but said clients could call the shop at 755-2727 to make an appointment.
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Posted by admin
on Jan 5 2011. Filed under News and Updates.
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