The family that owns and operates an outdoor power equipment store that was severely damaged by fire is slowly but surely recovering from the ordeal.
Andrew and Catherine Kendray, along with daughters Dana, Rebecca and Georga, are picking up the pieces after flames ripped through the Stihl Shop in Nambour early last month.
They hope to re-open the store’s doors in eight to 12 months but, in the meantime, have started operating with limited capacity nearby.
They have begun trading in a small space just down the road, at Rigby Street, and they expect to recommence equipment repairs and maintenance in a make-do workshop in a month or two.
They are also renting two locations for storage.
Georga said it had been a tiring time, grappling with the incident and the clean-up and trying to resume business.
“We’re all knackered. It’s been a big month but we’re doing well,” she said.
“We’re up and running. We’re on our feet again, at least.”
She said the community had rallied around them.
“They have been so supportive,” she said.
“We’ve got customers buying us coffee and bringing in drinks and food and chocolates.
“They don’t care how long it takes for us to get the workshop back up and running, they’re just going to wait.
“Our customers are incredible. The support has been amazing.”
Georga said much of the insured premises needed to be restored.
“The whole roof has to be replaced and the ceiling potentially has to be gutted and rebuilt,” she said.
“As soon as the building is repaired, we’ll move back in there, but it’s just a bit slow at the moment with insurance and the trades.”
She said the fire started from an electric pressure cleaner in the workshop, which was basically destroyed, along with the machines in it.
“Then the smoke went through to the showroom,” she said.
“It got to everything.
“There was also water damage, from the fire being put out.
“We don’t have power in the store and it’s toxic in there – you can’t go in without a mask.”
Andrew and Catherine leased the property from 2016 until June last year, when they purchased it.
It’s not known at this stage how much the damage was valued at.
“We’re still going through that,” Georga said.
“Every customer’s machine in the workshop is a write-off, so we’re replacing them.”
There were four Queensland Fire and Emergency Services crews at the fire, after they received a phone call about 8.40pm on Wednesday, February 8.
The fire was brought under control by about 9.25pm but there was “a significant amount of damage to the building”, according to a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokesperson.
Queensland Ambulance Service and Queensland Police Service were also in attendance.
