Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Gurdon Dollar General source of morning blaze

A fire, starting in the trash bin, engulfed the stores inventory early Wednesday morning at the Gurdon Dollar General on Main Street.

It burned the guts out of the building for at least three hours and lit up the sky. As to why it started, Fire Chief Robert Burns said that will be investigated.

Gurdon Volunteer Firemen Chad Dillard told the Gurdon Volunteer Fire Department that the trash bin was on fire, "on the main drag," at 5 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 1 "and I called it in on the way to work."

But going to work was delayed for Dillard and others, as they came on the scene to fight what would become the biggest Gurdon fire in at least two years.

Eight firefighters from the Gurdon Fire Department brought two pumpers to begin extinguishing the blaze.

Fire Chief Robert Burns and his crew began breaking into the walls of the metal structure with axes, trying to let the smoke out so they could get in and attempt to save the more than half of a million dollars in inventory.

Assistant Fire Chief Danny Paull said, "There was about $500,000 in Dollar General merchandise lost here this morning, as well as the structure coming down.

"Once it got through the walls to the insulation, flames began spreading throughout the building."

In order that the huge morning blaze did not spread on over to the Gurdon Laundry, or any residential home in the area, the decision was made to call the Curtis Volunteer Fire Department to assist.

Curtis Fire Chief Scott Francis said he brought "eight guys and two fire trucks to help contain the fire."

Gurdon Marshal Don Childres and several patrolmen from the Gurdon Police Department, as well as Deputy David Buck and other law enforcement officers from the Clark County Sheriffs Office, were controlling traffic in front of the Dollar General.

Marshal Childres said, "This went up like a mobile home would. Once it gets in the walls, there really is nothing the firefighters can do except try and stop it from spreading."

No injuries have been reported, as a result of the fire. However, the Baptist Memorial Ambulance Service had an emergency truck on the scene.

Marshal Childres said he believes Dollar General will rebuild the structure and restock it.

Deputy Buck, who is also a member of the Gurdon City Council, said, "This fellow has several stores and this is a very popular place to shop in Gurdon.

"We sure hope he will rebuild our store."

The Gurdon Times was notified about 5:30 a.m. by Sheila Burns, wife of Fire Chief Robert Burns.

Chief Burns said on the scene the structure was a total loss, "but firefighters should be able to contain it to just the Dollar General."

Heavy equipment

When dawn came up and things calmed down a little, the City of Gurdon got involved in fighting the blaze with the citys backhoe.

Street Superintendent Jim Caldwell used the implement to tear a hole in one of the metal walls at Dollar General, thus giving firefighters a better chance to get rid of any smoldering going on undetected under damaged merchandise.

Will be back

Frank Woolfley, district manager for Dollar General out of Fouke, said the Nashville, Tennessee based company has been doing business in Gurdon for nearly eight years.

"I would like to say that we appreciate all of the shopping Gurdon has done with us," he said at the scene.

"I believe we will be back here. I can not give you a time table just yet. The old building was leased so we will have to have some place to put the store.

"Im sure Dollar General will do everything possible to re-open."

In the meantime, Kay Little, Gurdon manager for Dollar General, said she and the seven employees under her are out of work.

"We dont really know what will happen at this point," she said. "I hate that this had to happen. We need the jobs and the town needs the store."