RICHMOND, Va. — Caution tape lines what's left of a strip of stores on Chestnut Street in the southern tip of Highland Park.
According to Richmond Fire officials, a fire started in the 1400 block of Chestnut Street around 2 a.m. Sunday morning and was considered under control just after 6:30 a.m.
Officials said 76 firefighters, which included 17 fire units and six support and command units, were called to the scene. No one was injured, according to Richmond Fire Chief Melvin Carter.
A tobacco and vape store, alongside a former convenience store, were severely damaged by the blaze.
Though the cause of the fire is still under investigation, a neighbor told CBS 6 she believed the fire may have started from an electrical problem, claiming she was woken in the night to popping and hissing sounds, possibly from lights in one of the stores.
The debris drew in onlookers Monday afternoon, including Sean Wood, who shared drone video with CBS 6 of the damage.
"It burnt up good, too," Wood said, sharing video of the roof, spanning along several different shops, sunken in.
The owner of Chestnut Tobacco and Vape, who goes by Ahmed, stopped by the store Monday to assess the damage.
He told CBS 6 that the store was his family's livelihood.
"I got big boys. They're working here and everything. Now they have no job, nothing. It's about eight of us without a job," he said. "It's really bad. Really bad. I don't know what to do."
Though the owner said he does want to eventually reopen his store, he said it will likely take time and thousands of dollars.
"These people were some very good people," said a patron named Qadir, who didn't share his last name with CBS 6. "They were just talking about opening a restaurant right there, so it's just kind of crazy how you know, they gotta start over."
It's unclear what the name of the future restaurant in the area may have been.
The church at the far end of the strip, Kingdom Love Ministries, seemed to still be intact compared to neighboring businesses.
Several neighbors told CBS 6 off camera that the strip of stores brought business to the neighborhood and served as a community staple.
"I feel like they should come together, and uplift the community, because that's what it's ultimately doing," Qadir said.
CBS 6 is committed to sharing community voices on this important topic. Email your thoughts to the CBS 6 Newsroom.
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