Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Saturday Morning Fire Destroys Two Local Businesses

Fire destroyed two businesses in downtown Prescott Saturday morning.

Lost were C and C Awards and Davis Automotive at 128 East Walnut. Both were owned by Owen and Caroline Davis.

The building was burned to the ground. Owen Davis estimated the losses Monday morning between $130,000 and $140,000.

Cause of the blaze was undetermined, but it is believed to have begun in the attic. Davis said Saturday he was working on a car when he turned around and flames were coming out of the ceiling.

He attempted to push the car out the door, but only could manage to get it halfway out. The car's engine was being pulled at the time, he said. The car was eventually pulled out, but it was a total loss.

In all, Davis said Monday there were five automobiles, belonging to customers, destroyed in the fire. In addition, he had a 1978 Camero and a 1980 Camero inside, as well as a Ford 8N farm tractor and a riding lawn mower that belong to him personally.

C and C, which used the front portion of the garage, had trophies and t-shirts destroyed by the blaze, as well as a screen printing press.

Davis' personal pickup was under the carport in front; his keys were inside the office. His hair was scorched and the top of his head was blistered when he attached a chain to the bumper for someone to pull it out. Paint on the pickup was blistered as well.

The car left in the door was eventually pulled on out, but it was a total loss along with the others inside.

"There are lots of things that cannot be replaced," Davis said. All tax records were destroyed as were his trophy deer heads.

Five fire departments responded to the alarm. The first on the scene was Nevada County Rescue Unit, with its firehouse directly across from the garage. Flames were already coming out the back when the first fire truck came across the street.

Also responding were Prescott Fire Department with two trucks, and volunteer fire units from Emmet, Laneburg and Redland.

The fire was discovered around 10:30 a.m. Firefighters were successful in keeping the GTE building next door from burning.

After Davis discovered the fire, it spread quickly in the old structure. Twenty minutes after the fire was discovered the roof caved in.

The building was built in 1926 for R.B. Hardy Buick agency. Hardy eventually moved the Buick agency to West Main (where Stewart Electric is now), but he put a bottling plant in his former building. Later, the Bemises operated a bottling plant at the same location, according to historian John W. Teeter. Prior to Davis occupying the site, it was a warehouse and it had been vacant.