Boonville picks up pieces after Main Street fire

BOONVILLE -- Along Main Street in Boonville, the signs of the inferno that destroyed multiple buildings Tuesday night are conspicuous.

Caution tape blocks off the area where the storefronts of various businesses -- including salons, a restaurant and a computer repair shop -- once stood. Trees still draped in ice from the water used to battle the blaze fronted a pile of rubble, which is all that remains of the historic buildings.

Fire crews were dispatched to the scene of 135 Main St. around 10 p.m. Tuesday. Before it was extinguished, parts of three streets were closed off as 13 fire departments from two counties responded.

On Wednesday morning, 12 hours after the fire began, crews began to tear down the affected buildings. Though no injuries were reported, at least 15 people were displaced by the fire. Representatives with the state Office of Fire Prevention and Control have been to the scene to investigate the cause.

On Thursday morning, Isaiah Smith returned to the scene of the fire. While he didn't live in a building destroyed by the blaze, he occupied an apartment in the brick building that halted the fire.

Due to the amount of smoke damage, Smith was displaced from his apartment. He said the building owner is working to get smoke remediation and insurance squared away, but it could be more than a month before it is habitable again.

The business closest to Smith's building was owned by his father-in-law, which housed a computer repair and music store. On Thursday, the doorway to the store and a wall rack with computer mice were all that remained to indicate it once existed.

"It was very sad," he said. "He poured his heart and soul into it, and now it's gone. It's going to be rough to even try to start up again or anything."

Smith's parents also visited the Main Street fire Thursday, returning after watching the fire response until 3 a.m. the day before.

Pamela Smith, Isaiah's mother, praised the coordinated response by the multiple fire departments and the community response following the fire. She called the firefighter response incredible and lauded the actions of volunteers providing coffee to weary fire crews into the night.

There's a group text in Boonville that includes resources for those affected and displaced by the fire, Pamela Smith said. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $14,600 as of Thursday evening.

"It's just amazing," she said. "Everybody is helping. But I think everybody has to sit back and think first, then see what they've got to do next."

'It leaves a scar'

A Salvation Army disaster services truck was parked outside the Boonville United Methodist Church on Thursday. Inside the church, boxes of supplies were stacked in a room adjacent to the entrance.

The church is being used as a central location for those to come get resources, said the Rev. Jack Ford. The Salvation Army, American Red Cross and Disabled American Veterans will all bring resources to the church, Ford said.

In response to the fire, the church already has received three rooms worth of donated clothing, which is being sorted by volunteers. At this point, there isn't much need for additional supplies but the church is collecting nonperishable food items and toiletries to aid those in need.

Cash donations have been received by the church and will be used for Tops or Walmart gift cards. Furniture donations also are being sought, and some people have been set up with furnished housing following the fire, Ford said.

"I think having some central places where people can go and get the services they need is a big help," he said.

Beyond the displacement of residents and destruction of businesses, the fire destroyed a piece of Boonville's history, Ford said.

"It leaves a scar," he said. "I was just asked earlier if three, four weeks from now, if people are going to still remember that there are people in need, even from this. I said, 'All you've got to do is drive down Main Street.' It's a reminder."

The devastation on Main Street is still hard to believe for Susan Bailey, who owned Country Connections at 139 Main St. The store sold local goods, ranging from pottery and jams, to unique wood toys handcrafted by Joseph and Sharon Benesch of Holland Patent.

"It will never be the same because the building I was in was one of the oldest there," Bailey said.

Country Connections was in its 10th year of operation, and Bailey said visitors would describe their love of Boonville's small town feel.

On Bailey's mind was the loss of Slim's, a local fixture with a reputation for excellent breakfasts. She said not too many people who passed through the village hadn't had breakfast at the restaurant at 129 Main St.

The co-owner of Charlie's Liquor, Deniese Haskins, said she went to Slim's about five times a week, either for breakfast or other meals. The liquor store was across the rear parking lot from the restaurant, making it a convenient spot.

Haskins said history was lost with Slim's.

"Slim's had all these beautiful antique pictures that can't be replaced of everything that happened in Boonville for years," she said.

The restaurant also had clocks on the wall, timed to the different theaters of war in World War II, Haskins said. Mothers and wives would be able to see what time it was for their deployed soldiers while dining at Slim's.

"That's the saddest part, is losing the history of this village," Haskins said.

With the buildings torn down to piles of rubble, the next direct steps are still unclear for village leaders.

Boonville Mayor Eric McIntyre said the buildings are private property, so the insurance companies will need to sort them out. Nevertheless, the town and village stand ready to assist.

In addition to the buildings destroyed by the fire, other businesses in the village will feel the impact of losing commercial space on Main Street, McIntyre said. Less anchor stores means less people in the commercial district who may be tempted into other stores.

Despite the devastation of the fire, McIntyre said he was thankful for the response from fire departments and the community to the fire and its aftermath.

"Everybody just comes together at a time like this, and it makes Boonville a special place," McIntyre said.

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