After fire destroys Martinsville business, owner remains optimistic

Fire crews describe fire incident at Bargains Gallore as "total loss"

Less than 24 hours ago, a warehouse and business called Bargains Galore in Martinsville, was fully engulfed in flames.

Sunday you can still smell the smoke from the smolder.

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John Martin, owner of the business walked through the site to look at what was left.

"Chief Anderson called me, I knew it wasn't good news, because he doesn't usually call me unless it's something important,"  Martin said.

Fire crews said as soon as they arrived late Saturday afternoon, the building was in a blaze, in part because the sprinklers inside were not in operation.

"We sent no crews inside for the safety of personal due to fire damage, so we operated from outside," said assistant chief, Greg Reeves, of Martinsville Fire and EMS.

While funding for an investigation on a fire of this size is relied heavily on insurance companies, Reeves said none of the business owners have insurance.

"Millions of dollars worth of merchandise lost. Any time a loss like this happens to the City of Martinsville, everyone suffers from it, basically the citizens. This is what their tax dollars pay for," says Reeves.

Despite Martin's devastation to what fire crews describe as a "total loss," he remains optimistic.

"We didn't lose anything but material stuff. That can be replaced," Martin said.

Due to the heavy rubble and smolder, fire officials expect a delay in the investigation.
 


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