A South Haven convenience store narrowly escaped large-scale devastation this past weekend. Firefighters thwarted a fire that broke out in a storage room shortly after the establishment reopened following renovations. The fire occurred at North Side Memories, a store with a 40-year presence on Dyckman Avenue, as reported by WOODTV.
According to South Haven Area Emergency Services Authority Fire Chief Brandon Hinz, firefighters were alerted at about 8:30 p.m. last Saturday, responded rapidly, and efficiently contained the fire. Hinz praised the crews for preventing the blaze from spreading to adjacent buildings, which included an unoccupied apartment and a sporting goods store, MLive detailed. The cause of the fire is still under scrutiny.
Jamie Cowell, the owner of North Side Memories, expressed her relief and appreciation for the swift action taken by firefighters. "It felt like forever, but it was very quick,” she said. “That adrenaline just gets going and time doesn’t exist," Cowell relayed her experience in an interview with WOODTV. She remarked on the fortuitousness of having the storage room door closed during the incident, effectively shielding the main shop and the newly installed renovations from damage.
Despite the setback, Cowell has signaled hope for a rapid recovery. Aiming to reopen the store's deli within a week, she waits for an insurance assessment to gauge the extent of repairs necessary within the affected storage room, where considerable fire and water damage occurred. Unfortunately, some merchandise and office supplies suffered damage from the fire.
No injuries were reported following the incident, and operations at North Side Memories and its neighboring businesses escaped an otherwise potentially catastrophic event.
