- Multiple fire crews battled a large fire near the corner of West Pulaski Street and North St. Augustine Street
- The building is a total loss
- Building resident Dawn Tooleysinnaeve visited the aftermath of the fire
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Hidden from the eyes on St. Augustine Street in Pulaski Thursday was just how much damage was done. Now that the smoke has cleared, everyone affected by the fire here can clearly see all that was lost.
“I know it's not a good thing to see I'll tell you that... It’s kind of somber this morning” said Chief James Styczynski, Pulaski Fire.
That’s Pulaski Fire Chief James Styczynski, talking with Dawn Tooleysinnaeve. She lost her business and her home in the fire on Thursday.
“It looks worse in the daytime, and nobody got hurt which is another small blessing,” said Chief James Styczynski, Pulaski Fire.
“It’s amazing to me how fast it all happened,’ said Dawn Tooleysinnaeve.
Styczynski says the call came in at 3:30 in the afternoon and 20 crews from multiple counties fought until 3:30 the next morning.
“We knew there’s a lot of power issues on the backside in the structure itself would be kind of unique to fight” said Chief James Styczynski, Pulaski Fire.
43 years with the department and he says a fire like this is uncommon.
“Very uncommon, but we practice for it we train for it we work together very good as a team” said Chief James Styczynski, Pulaski Fire.
The cause of the fire was a tree that was being cut down behind the building hitting the power line, falling onto the building, and scorching everything inside.
“All the sudden you hear popcorn and it’s like orange then it’s like smoking it just all happened so fast “it’s amazing to me how fast it all happened,’ said Dawn Tooleysinnaeve.
“It meant a lot and I had a lot of history of the town” said Chief James Styczynski, Pulaski Fire.
As of around 10 Friday morning, St. Augustine Street had reopened but cleanup was not yet underway.
In Pulaski, Olivia Acree NBC 26.
