Jerry White stood near the gaping hole in the brick wall where a door once stood. His eyes kept drifting to the pile of fiberboard and charred wood that spilled over the curb and onto English Street.
Scattered throughout that pile lay what was left of a chest of drawers dating to the 19th century.
Behind him, inside a brick warehouse that marks its 100th birthday next year, is what's left of Eclectics, the antiques business he has run at 301 S. St. Francis for the past two years.
"They got it just in time," White said of firefighters who responded to the alarm at about 2:30 a.m. Wednesday. "It's bad, but it could have been a lot worse."
The business catered to designers and high-end clients, White said, many of whom came to view merchandise by appointment. His insurance adjuster will arrive today so they can begin sorting out what can be salvaged and what's beyond hope.
"Some of it's gone," White said.
Fire investigators did not return calls seeking information about the fire, but White said the blaze was suspicious in origin.
"It's not good," he said, declining to say more.
Yellow fire scene tape stretched across the front door of the business. Windows on the second floor were broken out -- a reflection, White said, of what firefighters had to do to get water in to put the fire out.
The brick shell of the building remains in solid condition, White said, and he hopes to be back in business within weeks. Contractors were already sizing up what needed to be done even as the odor of smoke clung to the block Wednesday.
They were the same contractors who helped him get the building plumbed, wired and ready to go for the grand opening two years ago, White said.
"I'll just try to stay out of their way," he said.
Distributed by the Associated Press
