SMITHFIELD, Va. (WAVY) — They lost everything.
A family-owned boat repair business is one of many shops that was destroyed in a warehouse fire last Thursday in Isle of Wight County.
It is a day forever burned into the mind of David Stuart. He remembers seeing flames at the front of the warehouse right after the fire started, immediately running to the other side get his dad out of Stuart’s Marine. They could see the wall burning from the other side.
“A red circle glowing, and all of a sudden, that circle became the entire wall,” Stuart told 10 On Your Side. “[It] was just glowing red in the bathroom and office and everything just burst into flames instantly cause of the heat.”
His father, David Stuart Sr., got 911 on the phone right away.
“I don’t think they had any idea what they were getting into when they got here,” Stuart Sr. said.
The fire ran hot, destroying just about everything. Any of their tools and gear that did not melt came out rusted and in ruins. A lot of the equipment was brand new. Large beams inside the warehouse are seen partially melted and warped — a show of how hot it was inside.
One of the boats Stuart spent about a year working on for an in depth repair is now a mangled, unrecognizable mess. The boat was a day away from being finished.
“It was complete — all the wiring, the plumbing, I mean everything in there was redone,” Stuart said.
The timing could not have been worse. David Stuart Sr. is battling cancer. They want to rebuild the business, but with piling medical bills and more than $1 million in damage, reopening will be tough. The business is not insured. They were told in the past that it was uninsurable.
The fire was ruled an accident according to fire officials. They are still investigating how it started.
“Yeah, it just brings back all the memories we used to have up here,” Stuart said while looking at the destroyed warehouse. “All the years we’ve been working up here. Everything we’ve acquired and worked so hard for is just gone. There’s nothing left.”
Want to help?
David Stuart has established a GoFundMe for the business to help them get through a difficult time and rebuild. Click on the link to help.
