‘I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ Fire destroys 5 businesses at Modesto strip mall
Business owners returned Saturday morning to see the charred remains for themselves.
The blaze gutted Jay's Trophy Shop, Clawz nail salon, Shen's Acupuncture, King Cuts barbershop and the Asian Market at the shopping center at
"I don't know what I'm going to do," Wells said while looking at what was left of his business. "It looks like a total loss."
Firefighters responded to the fire about
Hunter said the firefighters launched an offensive attack to try to put out the blaze. Firefighters from the
Firefighters had the blaze under control about
Wells said he had about
He said the location on
As Wells stood several feet from his scorched trophy shop, he thought about the Ceres Little
"We've been around here for a long time," Wells said while considering whether his business can find a home elsewhere. "There's a hope. The right situation has to happen."
Investigators also were at the scene Saturday morning. The origin and cause of the fire had not been determined, said Lt.
He said Modesto police detectives were called to canvas the neighborhood and speak to any witnesses who might have information about the fire.
Hutchinson and other fire investigators went into the burned structures to try to recover any security camera video that could help them in their investigation. It's standard procedure.
Hutchinson said it appeared that the Dollar General store only sustained smoke and water damage from the fire.
"I just started advertising on Google; we were getting new customers," Vuong said. "It was going well."
The Asian Market also had fire insurance. But Vuong said he doesn't know what his next step will be. He wonders how the business that started off small and had expanded will have to start all over again.
The market was known for its large variety of Asian foods, Vuong said, and the business had mostly longtime customers. But he feels there's a strong need for his market in Modesto, so he wants to reopen at another location.
"We got an Asian community here, and a lot of people are into Oriental foods," Vuong said. "And it's healthy, too. We had a lot of vegan and vegetarian foods."
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