Chatsworth, CA, November 30, 2006--Bernard Warshauer spent 24 years building his business from scratch and into one of the most competitive flooring and wall covering companies in the San Fernando Valley, according to the LA Daily News.
But, according to the newspaper, it took little more than an hour Tuesday for fire to nearly destroy his warehouse and incinerate rolls of carpet and linoleum flooring - the backbone of Tri-Star Inc.
"It happened quickly," said the 47-year-old Calabasas resident. "My heart was pounding so fast."
Warshauer didn't sleep the night of the fire, which caused about $1 million in damage and was believed to have been caused by an electrical problem.
But by Wednesday morning, his phone began ringing off the hook with condolences from friends, vendors and installers.
Ironically, one competitor even phoned to offer tips on dealing with the aftermath of a fire, having coincidentally watched his building burn to the ground a year before.
"We had more than 100 phone calls from San Diego to Santa Barbara from people who saw it on the news," said Warshauer, owner of Tri-Star Inc., on Wednesday. "It's nice to see in these times."
Abe Harari, a partner at nearby Sy's Discount Carpet, which his father founded, was among the well-wishers who phoned Warshauer after smelling smoke and hearing the symphony of sirens speeding toward the industrial park that houses the warehouse and other businesses at 20800 Dearborn St.
Harari offered his carpeting at discount prices to Warshauer so he wouldn't fall behind with orders. "This is a family business, like his," Harari said. "The family spirit is to try to help out, give good deals and help the community when you can."
The nearby blaze stoked bad memories for Mike Lee, owner of All Bright Window Coverings. Fire destroyed his business more than a year ago.
Lee's new shop now stands down the road from Tri-Star. He called Warshauer on Wednesday to recommend reliable restoration companies and give advice on dealing with public adjusters, who inspect damaged sites on behalf of insurance policyholders.
"(With my advice) they'll get straight to the people who can help them with the situation they're in now," Lee said.
On Wednesday, firefighters hosed down a heap of charred carpet and linoleum flooring outside the 60-foot-by-200-foot warehouse engulfed in flames Tuesday afternoon. The smell of smoke hung heavy in the air as firefighters inside the burned storage facility pulled apart rolls of carpet where embedded embers continued to smolder.
The fire moved quickly through the building, fueled by a stockpile of flooring materials and wind, said Jeff Marcus, Los Angeles Fire Department battalion chief.
Marcus said strong winds Wednesday gave the deep-seated fire more air to burn.
Authorities planned to stay a second night outside the now-roofless building to prevent more fire damage.
On Wednesday, Tri-Star's 90 employees, thankful their offices were untouched by flames, arrived by 6 a.m. to get the business back in order.
Susan Spratlen, customer service supervisor, was worried that clients might be upset about delayed orders. Instead, she found that customers called in with concerns about the business.
In his office down the hall, Warshauer, thankful to have insurance, counted his blessings that no one was hurt in the fire. With the help of vendors who are allowing Tri-Star to store and receive supplies, he expects business to be back on track in a week.
"It's a bit of a lemon," he said. "And I'm going to make some lemonade."
