Wagoner Business Owners Assess Damage After Fire

The cleanup begins after another major downtown fire in Wagoner.

The damage varies between two large buildings, each divided into storefronts. The owners were there Tuesday to assess their losses.

Related: Firefighters Contain Blaze In Downtown Wagoner, Roof Compromised

With the building next to hers still smoldering, Carol Jones started cleaning up, with plenty of people watching. Main Street was busy, with cars slowing down and people stopping to take pictures of the damage.

“What a total loss for the businesses and everything else, the community, as a whole,” said spectator Gene Wright.

The fire destroyed an old firehouse under renovation on the south side and burned the top floor of an old hotel on the north side. The indoor farmers market, located in the hotel, sustained less damage, while a surveying company nearby suffered heavy damage.

“I can’t even do anything until our guy gets here, our appraiser,” said A.J. Jones with Atlas Land Company.

No family was affected more than the Joneses. He runs the surveying company, and she runs the farmers market, and both are now burned out.

“It's sad,” said Wagoner native Don Harris. “We lost several of them a few years ago on this side of the street.”

Harris and his daughter had to see it to believe it—another couple of buildings lost in a downtown fire.

“I think one of them will rebuild, and we’ll look at moving forward and help them any way we can,” said Mayor Dalton Self.

The business owners are waiting for an evaluation of what might be saved or whether the buildings will have to be bulldozed. For now, they are salvaging what they can from inside.

The official cause of the fire is still under investigation, but tar roofing work was being done Monday where the fire started.

Several businesses near those that burned also sustained smoke and water damage. That was being cleaned up Tuesday as well.

The City asked residents to conserve water while fire was being fought. That has since been lifted.

If you would like more information on how to help, click here for the link to the family's GoFundMe.