Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, April 19, 1991 TAG: 9104190440
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RON BROWN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Short
Thursday night, a fire from a cabinet shop downstairs filled it with smoke.
And although he faces possible loss of $185,000 in inventory, company President David Scott said he's not discouraged.
"We will reopen," he said. "If the good Lord is willing, we will reopen."
Scott said he, his partner and other JDK employees had gone to Mac & Maggie's to celebrate a successful first day of business.
When they returned to drop his partner, Ken Walker, off at his car, Walker heard a smoke alarm going off downstairs and called the fire department.
"If I hadn't had dessert the building would have burned down," Scott said. "We would have been gone" before the fire started.
District Fire Chief Bobbie S. Slayton said heavy smoke was coming from the back side of the building when firefighters arrived shortly after 11:15 p.m. It took 10 to 12 minutes to douse the blaze.
Slayton said a city fire inspector had been called in to attempt to determine the cause of the blaze, which started in the Country Classic cabinet shop. He had no estimate of damage to the cabinet shop.
Scott said JDK had spent about $10,000 remodeling its Winston Avenue showroom, former site of the Links clothing store. He said it had paid another $3,000 in anticipation of the Thursday opening.
He said he was encouraged by the first day of business despite the late-night setback.
"It was a tremendous day," he said.
by CNB