'Just trying to cope': Beloved Tillsonburg furniture store lost in fire
Charred debris is all that remains of a Tillsonburg family business destroyed in a fire on Wednesday.
Morrice Furniture Store was a community staple for decades and the building was also a family home.
Donna Just watched the fire in shock from across the street.
"My grandfather bought that property in the mid 1930s," she said.
Just said her cousin owns the store now.
"My cousin is devastated," she said. "He was very emotional and just trying to cope with it all."
Fire crews worked all night to try and salvage the building. Mike Ross with the Ontario Fire Marshal said they have taken over the investigation. No one was injured in the fire and the damage estimate is still being determined.
"We have lost a considerable amount of structural integrity, so the building is essentially a write-off," Ross said.
Tillsonburg Mayor Stephen Molnar said the community has reached out to the owners.
"The family aspect of this tragedy is most devastating," Molnar said. "Continued efforts will be ongoing. I know the immediate outreach to the family was while they were still on-site."
An online fundraiser has raised thousands of dollars in just the first day.
Officials put a fence around the property on Thursday afternoon.
"We are looking at how we can mitigate the hazards with the collapse of the roof and exterior walls to start doing the actual fire investigation," Ross said.
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