Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Fire Burns Floral Shop

Fire put another business out last week on Tuesday in downtown Prescott. Betty's Floral and Gift Shop at 116 East Elm was completely destroyed by the blaze.

The fire, which was reported at 7:21 p.m. by Walter DeYoung, a city policeman, also caused some damage to other business in the half block area. Four other business suffered from smoke damage.

Fire Chief Ben Gummeson said the exact cause of the fire was unknown, but he believed it began near the back of the business.

Smoke was pouring out of the vents in the attic as well as the ones over the former Holly's location. However, the blaze was contained in the one building, although it threatened to jump to Holly's on the west and to the office of Duncan Culpepper on the east.

Fortunately, the Prescott firemen were having a training session at the time and were burning a house that had been pushed down and piled together on West Third North. They were in a couple of minutes when the fire was reported. They left one truck at the training site and took one to the downtown fire. Another truck was brought from the east side of town.

Gummeson also request aide from other fire departments just a few minutes after he and his crew arrived on the scene.

Responding were volunteer fire departments from Prescott (Nevada County Rescue Unit), as well as from Emmet, Laneburg, Rosston, Cale and Redland in Nevada County. Perrytown from Hempstead County also responded.

Prescott had one pump truck and Perrytown furnished another. A pump truck is one that will pump water, providing the pressure and water needed for the fire.

Nevada County Rescue Unit and the county's other rural fire departments use foam.

After the other units arrived, Perrytown was stationed in front with Prescott, while Nevada County Rescue Unit was put on the roof of Culpepper's office.

A city bucket truck was put in the alley in back for firemen and John McLelland brought down his Sky Track tractor for firefighters in front.

It was only when these four plans were in use that the fire was contained and brought under control around 9:00, even though some of Prescott's firefighters stayed on the scene until 6:00 a.m. Wednesday.

Gummeson said firefighters had a hard time in the back portion of the store where a dropped ceiling existed. Above it was the 'old' ceiling made of pressed tin. "Water will not go through tin," he said last week.

No estimate of the damage has been made.

Maria and Lorelei Morrow, mother and daughter who own Betty's said Monday they were planning to re-open, but have not decided which location to get.

They have not been permitted inside the burned-out building to see how many records were not damaged, although most may have been.

Ricky Marlar, owner of Fore's Department Store said last week he was still waiting on insurance adjusters to determine his damage.

Dr. Audie Teague, who has a business on the corner of East Second and Elm, the fartherest from the fire, was closed last Wednesday, but re-opened Thursday.

He took most everything-office furniture and inventory-out of his building during the fire. As he began to load his pickup, friends offered theirs and before it was over there were 10 pickup loads. They moved back in Wednesday.

Gummeson expressed his appreciation to all the firefighters. "I certainly want to thank everyone, especially the fire departments that came from out of town," he said. "Without them we may have lost several stores."

Historian John Teeter said that block was completely destroyed by fire at the turn of the century when all buildings were wooden. The new buildings were made of brick, he said. In 1908, Prescott Hardware burned, he said.