ORANGE PARK, Fla. – Investigators were still working on Monday to determine the cause of the massive fire that destroyed Hagan Ace Hardware in Orange Park.
The store on Blanding Boulevard remained closed on Monday as the owners waited for answers from the State Fire Marshal on the cause of the massive blaze that broke out on Friday evening.
The fire, which closed off Blanding Blvd. for hours, left 33 employees without the workplace they called home.
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Managers at other stores in Orange Park and in Green Cove Springs have been inundated with customers from the Blanding store coming to these other locations to support the business.
That includes Ace regulars like Amanda Ramirez, who frequented the Blanding store but traveled to the one across town on Park Avenue.
“I like their flowers and soil. I normally come to Ace for that,” Ramirez said.
Donna Bastzura also visited the Ace Hardware store on Park Avenue.
“It’s very sad ot hear. But the good news is we have an option,” Donna Basztura, Ace Hardware’s customer, said.
Hagan Ace Hardware management sent a memo to staff over the weekend to let them know that their top priority is the staff who have been reassigned to other Hagan Ace Hardware stores.
Terra Lageman, Hagan Ace Hardware’s spokesperson, told News4JAX they are doing everything they can to help their employees.
“This building is home to 33 of our employees. And Mitch Turner, our manager, he has been with us almost 25 years. Can you imagine being here 25 years? One employee here over 46 years. So, this is the home base for a lot of our employees. So very emotional for them. This is their home,” Lageman said.
Now, those employees are finding new homes in the remaining Ace stores around Northeast Florida.