Neighboring businesses scramble to move forward after fire

Numerous small, local shops affected by smoke, water damage after downtown blaze

By Jay Roe

The Brookings Register

Posted 1/6/25

BROOKINGS — In the aftermath of a fire that destroyed Brost’s Fashions at 318 Main Ave. last Monday, nearby businesses damaged by the blaze are still picking up the pieces. 

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Neighboring businesses scramble to move forward after fire

Numerous small, local shops affected by smoke, water damage after downtown blaze

Posted

BROOKINGS — In the aftermath of a fire that destroyed Brost’s Fashions at 318 Main Ave. last Monday, nearby businesses damaged by the blaze are still picking up the pieces. 

“We’re not ready to give up. We have hope to build back bigger and better,” Jamie Werre with The Exchange at 322 Main Ave. said. “We have received an outpouring of offers which we’re extremely grateful for. We’ve had a lot of volunteers want to help in this process. So we’re extremely grateful for all of those people. Right now we don’t need any physical help, but what we hope is that when we reopen — or are in our temporary location — we receive support with people continuing to do business with us.”

For the time being, they remain closed.

“We are unable to use our building — at all — the way it currently exists. So before we reopen, we need to basically remodel the store. We are still currently waiting for a lot of insurance hurdles to jump through,” Werre said. “Although our building isn’t going to be usable for quite some time, we are going to try to create a temporary space that we can help people with special orders or purchases. That, I have to wait for the ATF’s approval on … We will not have anything on display at this location. It will be for special orders and pick up.”

She said they’ll provide updates on their Facebook page.

Nearby business owner Erica Grinde from Emerald Grace Clothing Company at 314 Main Ave. said they’re hoping to bounce back.

“Things could’ve been a lot worse. Obviously, our hearts go out to Seven Songbirds and Brost’s who had worse damage,” Grinde said. “Emerald Grace won’t be moving out of Brookings anytime soon … We have some ideas already of how we can temporarily open. It’s just a matter of getting that in place and getting some new inventory ordered. We’re just very thankful to everybody who has sent us prayers, thoughts and kind words.”

She said the financial future is uncertain. 

“We were able to get into our space (on Jan. 2) to assess damage with insurance, and they did deem our store a total loss,” Grinde said. “They are supposed to do some sort of wage coverage and income loss, but what that is and how that’s calculated — I don’t know. So I don’t know if I’ll be without pay or not … For me though, this was my full time job.”

She said it’s difficult predicting what her needs will be. 

“It’s just hard because I don’t know if I’ll be getting my wages covered or not,” Grinde said. “So I don’t want to say, ‘yeah I need my wages covered,’ and then people donate, but it turns out I got my wages covered. So I don’t want to take advantage of the situation.”

Sheri Vaughn with Hand Tied Floral Boutique at 314 Main Ave. echoed those financial worries. 

“There are little financial burdens that are still there — like you have to pay such-and-such bill. Suddenly there’s no income coming in, but the bills don’t stop,” Vaughn said. “That’s the weird part about it. I don’t have to go to work today. And yet you’ve never wanted to go to work so badly in your life, right?”

She said she won’t be giving up.

“Right now I’m looking for a temporary location. I can still do flowers at home, but it’s not ideal,” Vaughn said. “Thank you to everyone for the support that you’ve shown. It’s been overwhelming in a very good way. When it first happened, we had to stop reading some of the comments — it was just overly emotional and it was really hard. People have come up to me that I don’t even know, and it’s been very positive. That’s what keeps us going.”

Megan Nelson from Prairie Soul Studio at 314 Main Ave. said they had only recently moved into their location.

“While we were only in our new location for a month, there was so much joy in being surrounded by so many other locally owned businesses and the energy Downtown Brookings holds. We are eager to find our way back there and to support everyone rebuilding in the coming months,” Nelson said. “We are working hard to find an alternate location so we can hold classes while they work to ensure we have a safe and clean space to return to. That timeline is unknown, so we are moving forward as optimistically as we can … We miss our students, and they have expressed how much they miss their weekly routine.”

Josh Johnson of Johnson & Richter Creative at 314 Main Ave. hopes the community continues supporting all the affected businesses. 

“We just ask that you keep all of the other businesses impacted by this in your thoughts,” Johnson said. “Right now we are still operating as best we can — doing a minimal amount of client work … We hope we have a better, temporary long term solution for an office along with replacing necessary equipment in the next couple of weeks, so we can be closer to fully functional. Permanent solutions will probably take a few months.”

He said Brookings is a special place. 

“We find ourselves extremely lucky to live in the community of Brookings,” Johnson said. “So many people have shown up in so many different ways, and all we can do is say thank you. We want to send an extra special thank you to the Brookings Fire Department, Brookings Police Department and other first responders from surrounding communities. Your efforts gave our business the opportunity to continue to exist.”

Angela Geraets with Estheva Spa Therapies at 314 Main Ave. said they’re stuck waiting but still have hope.

“There isn’t really much I have to say, but I feel for the businesses and the tenants. I made it out a little better than most,” Geraets said. “Still have smoke and water damage — that is to be expected.  The waiting game is the hardest part, but everyone made it out safely. Huge, thank you for the fire department for all their hard work and doing what they do. All the texts, messages and calls that I personally have received have not gone unseen.”

The Ugly Duckling at 312 Main Ave. sustained less damage than some businesses but still remains closed. Co-owner Karen Burns said they’re still clearing out smoke from the main floor, and their basement was heavily damaged by water. She has tentative plans to re-open the weekend of Jan. 11. 

“Most of us are fighting to get open again. We’re not going anywhere,” Burns said. “Ultimately it’s going to be the safety of the customers with us getting stuff done downstairs, because we don’t want to injure them while they’re trying to shop and support us. We want to reopen safely but quickly at the same time.” 

Ugly Duckling co-owner Char Flippo said they can still do online orders.

“If people want to right now, we’ve got a website we’re working on getting up and running,” Flippo said. “They can shop online, do local pickup, or we can ship too. It’s uglyducklingsd.com.”

Rachael Dunham is another co-owner and said the best way the community can help is by continuing to shop locally. 

“The one thing that we ask of the community is that when we re-open, show us your love,” Dunham said. “Me being a co-owner who came up from Lincoln, Neb. — where it’s hundreds of thousands of people — to a small community here, my breath is taken away by the outpouring and outreach of this city, the community members and everybody else who’s willing to come and help. It warms my heart.”

The Ivy Center at Brookings Behavioral Health and Wellness is accepting monetary donations to support those impacted by the fire. Monetary donations can be made at https://donorbox.org/downtown-brookings-fire-relief. Donations of physical items are also being accepted Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 211 Fourth St. More information is online at https://brookingsivycenter.org.

Contact Jay Roe at jroe@brookingsregister.com.