FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- A fire broke out in a Fayetteville garden center on Tuesday morning (March 21).
Fire crews were called to Westwood Gardens on Wedington Drive about 3:30 a.m. A Fayetteville police officer spotted the fire while driving by, and tried putting it out with a fire extinguisher before calling the fire department.
The fire burned through the wall of the gardening center. However, the greenhouses were undamaged and remain open, said Sarah Wynne, Westwood Gardens retail manager.
Wynne said the store will remain open, but they just can't get to the stuff inside.
“We’ve worked really hard to prepare for spring but we work really hard every day," said Wynne. "So we will get past this and we will help our customers as we always have.”
The store set up a cashier station in the front greenhouse after the fire knocked out their power.
Wynne said their inventory is kept on a computer and as of Tuesday are unable to answer some customer questions.
She explained that customers can still visit any of their other three locations if the Wedington store is unable to help.
The store hoped to have the electricity back soon.
Even though Wynne was shocked to see the damage Tuesday morning, she was not surprised to see all the employees ready to keep things going.
“All of those people are still here committed, ready to do the same job as they have done every day," Wynne said. "It’s just we have a few hurdles to overcome.”
Capt. William Beeks, assistant fire marshal, said they believe the fire started from electrical issues. He said the fire department believes the fire stared in the office area of the building and then spread.
He said the fire had likely been burning a while before the officer spotted it.
Wynne said she is waiting on insurance to see how much of the store was damaged.