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STOCKTON, Calif. (KTXL) — The flames are gone and the smoke has dissipated and by Friday, the damage caused by a fire at a Stockton warehouse was visible.
David Downing surveyed the mangled metal that used to be the warehouse behind his business, D D Designs.
“Once it got started — these buildings are so old — it
just went up. Went up real quick,” Downing told FOX40.
Flames destroyed nearby businesses and everything in them.
“Everybody is kind of devastated right now,” said Downing.
His business was saved but he said he feels for the business owners who weren’t so lucky.
“Unfortunately, Tarps and Tie-Downs they lost just about all their inventory and they had to send all their employees home,” explained Downing.
“I wish everybody would have been spared but yeah, that’s how things are,” said 209 Express employee Donald Dailey. “We’re just one of the lucky ones and thank God.”
For Dailey who works next door to Downing, the cleanup began after he witnessed the fire Thursday night and worried if he would have a job the next day.
“It was smoky, and it was burning and flames. And when I came
this morning it was still burning,” said Dailey.
Officials are currently investigating the cause of the four-alarm
fire.
“When we first showed up, we had fire on the outside involving what appeared to be rubbish,” said Stockton Fire Battalion Chief Brandon Doolan. “It very well could have been related to homeless or it couldn’t have been.”
As for Downing, he said he’s looking forward to getting back to work knowing just how close he came to losing it all.
“We’re rather fortunate because, like I said, our business didn’t get too damaged. So, as soon as we get power back up here — hopefully within the day — we’ll be back in business and going again,” said Downing.
