Fire destroys local business

DOUBLE SPRINGS - Treasure Hunters Marketplace on Highway 195 in Double Springs, home to numerous vendors, was destroyed by fire Tuesday night, Dec. 12.

The Double Springs Fire Department responded to a call at around 11:58 p.m. to find the structure already “fully involved,” according to Lt. Erik Gilbreath, who said he could see the glow of the fire from his residence a mile and a half away when he responded to the call.

“The closer I got, the more intense it looked,” he noted. “When we got on scene, it was completely involved. There was fire coming out of every door, every window.”

Additionally, a section of the roof on the right side of the structure, the portion of the building not fully enclosed, had already collapsed by the time firefighters arrived, Gilbreath said.

When Fire Chief Brandon Lewis arrived on scene, he asked 9-1-1 dispatch to call in other departments, Gilbreath said. At least four fire departments responded to the fire, according to early reports. The Alabamian will report all responding agencies when they are confirmed.

Gilbreath estimated more than 75,000-100,000 gallons of water were applied to the fire.  

As the night went on, the rest of the roof eventually fell in, too, Gilbreath said.

“We had a full crew here, and even that wasn’t enough,” Gilbreath noted. “It was too far gone to save it.

“I hate to see any business suffer like this,” he continued. “It’s devastating to the town. But I’m also glad that it wasn’t closer to some of our other buildings because if it was more than likely that whole section would be gone.”

As of Wednesday, December 13, fire was still burning in places, particularly beneath the collapsed metal roof. “It’s going to sit here and smolder for a few days,” said Gilbreath, who along with other firefighters was still on scene monitoring the fire for flareups. “If it gets big, we’ll put a little water on it, but basically, it’s going to have to put itself out.”