Longtime Bartlesville Leather Shop Rebounds After Fire

A longtime Bartlesville business is full steam ahead despite major damage from a lightning strike and fire last summer. It's been busy at Yocham Custom Leather and Saddlery out east of Bartlesville.

"Right now we are filling a lot of Christmas orders," said Rick Yocham.

If you were around last summer you might be surprised they are doing anything at all. A fire burned most everything in the east end of the building.

The other end was full of furniture, just as it is now. A bunch of volunteers showed up and started unloading the building.

"They were just comin in and haulin it out that door, that door, but we got everybody's ... nobody lost anything but us ... and that's ok," said Rhonda Yocham.

Everything seems to be back to normal. In fact, if you hadn't seen the building before, there's little evidence there was a problem.

Rick Yocham said this is the second fire in the 47 years they've been doin' this. In the first, he said the loss was greater but this one he said he cried more.

"It was the people who stopped by, gave to us for no reason," said Yocham.

After the holidays, the Yocham's plan to expand to replace the floorspace they lost in the fire.