The manager of the Memorial Avenue Salvation Army Thrift Store expects to reopen within a week after a deliberately-set fire damaged the back portion of the building.
The fire was reported around 1 a.m. Monday when three garbage bins located at the rear of the building were set ablaze. The fire spread quickly into the back of the store causing damage to the building.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control but the water used to put the fire out also damaged some of the donations that were located in the back of the store.
Salvation Army manager Donna Aho received a call around 2 a.m. and told the store was on fire. When she arrived, she said the flames were shooting up the side the building onto the roof.
Aho said they will have to with the smoke damage before allowing people back into the store but repairs have started with the drywall and the sprinklers.
“The store is going to be shut down for a week, which causes us to lose money,” Aho said.
“Staff are off until it is safe for them to come back. Donations have been wrecked so we have to get rid of them. Donations are still coming in but we would appreciate it if they went to Red River Road because there’s nobody working here right now.”
Aho said she felt badly that someone would deliberately set fire to a garbage bin but added that she felt confident that Thunder Bay residents would step up to help the Salvation Army in its time of need.
“The Salvation Army has been good to Thunder Bay and I know Thunder Bay is going to help us through this,” she said.
The investigation is ongoing.
