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Posted on Wed, May 18, 2011 : 9:54 a.m.

Fire destroys Manchester True Value hardware store

By Cindy Heflin

Manchester_fire_truevalue.jpg

Fire engulfs the True Value Hardware store on Sharon Valley Road in Manchester Township. The blaze destroyed the building.

Photo courtesy of Barry Allen

Editor's note: This story has been updated.

The owner of the Manchester True Value hardware store vowed to rebuild after a massive fire destroyed the business at 19870 Sharon Valley Road in Manchester Township early this morning.

Darwin Ries said he found out about the fire in a phone call he received about 1 a.m. today. By the time he arrived, firefighters had put out most of the flames, but the extent of the damage was apparent. Only part of the front facade was still standing this morning, he said.

“I’m just devastated by it,” he said in a telephone interview this morning. “When I was called and told there was a fire there, I never expected it to be what it was. I never expected the entire building to be in flames and that it was going to be a total loss.”

But Ries said he’ll be back in business, he hopes on the same site, as soon as possible. In the meantime, the 10 employees of the business are out of work, at least temporarily. “I’ve never been through anything like this. I don’t know how long it will take,” he said.

Manchester Township Fire Chief Bill Scully said firefighters from 10 departments battled the blaze, which a passerby reported shortly after midnight, but were not able to save the building. The structure was engulfed in flames by the time firefighters arrived, Scully said, and fire had already consumed about three-fourths of the roof.

He had no information about what might have caused the fire and did not have a damage estimate, but he said the fire does not appear to be suspicious at this point. The state fire marshal will investigate, he said.

R.D. Kleinschmidt, a roofing company near the hardware store, owns the building, Ries said. Insurance is expected to cover the loss.

Ries praised the work of firefighters at the scene, saying the firefighting effort was well coordinated among the multiple departments that responded. “It was really quite impressive to watch,” he said.

Firefighters from Manchester Township, Chelsea, Dexter, Saline, Clinton, Tecumseh, Sand Lake, Cambridge Township, Napolean and Grass Lake all fought the fire, Scully said. Also, hazardous materials teams from Washtenaw County and Ann Arbor responded to monitor air quality and water runoff from the firefighting efforts, he said.

No injuries were reported. “It was a good test of the mutual aid system,” Scully said. “Everything functioned flawlessly.”

Manchester_fire2.jpg

Firefighters battle a blaze at the Manchester True Value hardware store. The fire destroyed the building.

Photo courtesy of Barry Allen


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Comments

Tony Dearing

Thu, May 19, 2011 : 1:42 p.m.

Commenting on this story has been reopened. Please keep our conversation guidelines in mind when posting comments. In particular, we ask you not to post comments that include speculation, or information that isn't substantiated.

Lola

Wed, May 18, 2011 : 4:38 p.m.

I am so sorry for your loss. Just wondering (as I've never been through anything like this), who cleans up the mess? Would it be possible for the 10 employees who are now without jobs to assist with that and maintain their employment?

Tony Dearing

Wed, May 18, 2011 : 4:35 p.m.

Commenting on this story has been temporarily closed because of the high number of comments that violate our conversation guidelines. We will reopen this discussion later. When we do, we would ask people not to post speculation on what may have caused the fire, not to post information that can't be substantiated, and not to post comments asking why so many comments have been removed. We have explained why comments have been removed.

Jen Eyer

Wed, May 18, 2011 : 3:50 p.m.

Comments containing speculation were removed.

ChelseaGirl

Wed, May 18, 2011 : 2:25 p.m.

Oh my gosh, this just breaks my heart. This was my husbands favorite place in Manchester.