FORSYTH, Ga. — Another fire started in downtown Forsyth on Tuesday night around 10:30 p.m. The Branded Star Boutique caught fire and the owners say it was completely destroyed.
"It's been a great business here and now it's a total loss," Bonnie Starr says.
Bonnie Starr owns the Branded Starr Boutique with her daughter Brandy Starr. She says her daughter is heartbroken.
She says it all happened on Tuesday night when another restaurant downtown called Starr and told her her shop was on fire.
"She has a restaurant a couple blocks over and she saw the flame when they were carrying their garbage out of the restaurant," Starr said. "She called us immediately, and we got here of course. It was really blazing by the time we got here."
Starr said when she got to the store most things were already damaged. She says the fire caused the roof to cave in. They even had new inventory, she says and now it is all destroyed.
The Forsyth Fire Department was not able to save anything because of the fire and water damage. Chief Kevin Bunn says the fire caused heavy smoke and they had to cut a hole in the roof.
"It was too bad nobody could get in and the guys tried to pull stuff out, but it had already besides the fire and water. Then the whole roof caved in," Starr said.
Starr says she is afraid insurance won't cover all the damage.
Downtown Development Director Kemie Childs says she is devastated to see such a great business on fire.
"This is like your worst nightmare. Something that I take pride in is the downtown and our historic look," Childs says.
Childs called the Branded Starr Boutique a huge asset for downtown. She says many people drive to Forsyth to shop there.
"It is a very popular store. I shop in the store, and it's one of my favorites downtown," she says.