The Eureka area is helping the owners of a hardware store rebuild after a destructive fire this past weekend.
S&L Hardware at 1518 East River caught fire, with emergency calls getting reported shortly before 4 pm Saturday.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to “Help Shane & Lisa Rebuild Eureka Hardware.” Almost $3,000 was raised as of 5 am Monday. The Eureka Herald is also accepting monetary donations, either brought to the office at 822 East River Suite 100 or mailed to Box 590 in Eureka ZIP 67045.
Eureka Fire Chief Luke Westerman says firefighters saw fire coming through the east roofline and smoke billowing from the metal building as they arrived. Crews started their attack quickly, but the fire got into some paint containers and then grew substantially. Because of the combination of fire, heat and smoke damage, most of the contents were damaged or destroyed.
The fire was limited to the entry area. Westerman says the early indication is an unspecified electrical cause. The Office of Kansas State Fire Marshal has been asked to investigate. Numerous agencies responded besides Eureka Fire, including Greenwood County Fire, Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, Greenwood County EMS, Evergy, ATMOS Energy and the American Red Cross.
Lisa and Shane Schweda of Fall River own the business, with subscription boxes, seasonal items and fundraising partnerships as part of the overall business model. Westerman says the address was previously Stanley’s Hardware before the Schwedas bought the building and began renovations.
