A century-old anchor of the Delton community was reduced to ashes yesterday morning as Smith & Doster, a storied auto shop specializing in car sales and service, succumbed to a devastating blaze that necessitated the evacuation and temporary closure of nearby schools. According to FOX 17, witnesses reported the fire started around 7:30 a.m. at the family-owned business, which had served the area since 1922.
The fire elicited a wide-reaching response from the community and emergency services, with neighboring fire departments lending their support as the Delton Fire Department battled the blaze, crews worked tirelessly on the scene well into the afternoon, though details remained scarce as the fire continued smoldering. Local resident and longtime customer of Smith & Doster, Shirley Woods told WZZM 13, "Smith and Doster, I've been here all my life," conveying a deep sense of loss, "It's losing years of tradition."
The incident's severity prompted quick and decisive action from Delton-Kellogg Schools, which left hundreds of young minds temporarily without their hallowed halls of learning, as per FOX 17, Superintendent Jeremy Wright described the situation, "I was just sitting in my car, and I happened to look up and I saw a bunch of black smoke," which led to the cancellation of classes across the district for the day, "It's probably best just to call it, because they didn't know what was in the air, what's in the building, what's going on, and as that was going on, you could hear explosions pretty regularly." However, the schools aim to resume their educational duties promptly, airing outbuildings to safeguard the health and well-being of their pupils and staff.
Current investigations by fire officials are yet to pinpoint the origin and cause of the fire, noted WKZO, as they sort through the rubble in search of answers.
