“The water situation was pitiful - absolutely pitiful,” said Cain on Thursday. “It was almost lack thereof.” Water had to be shuttled from hydrants on the Demorest Water System because the Baldwin water lines serving the complex didn’t provide sufficient pressure to support the firefighting effort. “If we’d have had adequate water pressure, I think there would have been a different turnout,” Cain said.
“They were blacking the fire pretty good, then that lapse in water let the fire build up pretty good,” Cain said. “That’s when some of those chemicals and things in the back started exploding.”Hartford House was destroyed in the blaze.
“It’s a total loss - there’s nothing salvageable,” Cain said.
Two firefighters were checked out on the scene by Habersham Emergency Medical Services for heat exhaustion.
Northeast Georgia Fabric centre, located next door to the Hartford House Christmas Shop, sustained smoke and water damage. Firefighters had to cut a hole in the roof to provide vertical ventilation in order to contain the fire.
Hartford House began in 1988, when Sarah Smith wanted a small place to display the few pieces of handcrafted furniture she had sanded, stained and hand rubbed. Sarah Smith and her husband Allen own the business.
The more than 14,000-square-foot store featured furniture and home decor showrooms, a workshop for furniture finishing, a year-round Christmas shop and a gift shop.
Information from: www.thenortheastgeorgian.com
