The smell of smoke wafted from the open front doors when I stopped by to check on the status of Bass Fork Mini Mart. Contractors were inspecting the damage, and employees were doing there best to move as much undamaged merchandise outside into a Uhaul truck backed up to the front door. The racks of stuffed toys sat on the front sidewalk, and the employees stood at the door while we chatted. The extent of the damage is still being assessed, and the cause of the fire is still unknown. The power is out in half of the building, so for the next few days at least you can expect them to remain closed. The gas pumps will need to remain off until they can be assessed for safety and turned back on. Luckily everyone was unharmed, and we will just have to be patient while the inspections and repairs are handled.

On Monday evening, July 9th, Bass Fork Mini Mart experienced a structure fire of unknown origin. It appears to have started near the rear entrance and spread into the rafters above the cold box. All of the employees and customers escaped the building unharmed. CalFire was on scene within minutes, with multiple engines responding. They were able to extinguish the flames before the fire could spread beyond the building.