Longtime Tucker business burns to ground
Flames destroyed a longtime Tucker community institution Friday night.
Saturday, as bulldozers shoveled the remnants of Handy ACE Hardware store on Cowan Road, former customers and employees lamented the loss of the business.
The fire started early Friday at the hardware store that had become a community cornerstone in Tucker.
Saturday morning, DeKalb County firefighters were still on the scene putting out hot spots.
Matthew Smith’s family has owned the store since 1982.
He said he thought the fire was a false alarm when he was informed about it.
“It was just unreal,” Smith told Channel 2 Action News.
The fire started around 7 p.m., shortly after employees had gone home for the evening, authorities said.
“After I got home, they called and said it was on fire,” employee Diane Skelton told Channel 2. “I said, ‘I was just there.’”
Despite counting the business as a total loss, Smith is counting his blessings.
“We want to be here for the community just as well as they want to be here for us,” he said. “But nobody was hurt, and that’s what we’re thankful for.”
The cause of the fire is still unknown.
