Fire displaces Licking County residents, businesses

ALEXANDRIA, Ohio (WCMH) – Some residents and businesses in a small village in Licking County are unsure of what their next steps are after a fire last Thursday afternoon.

The fire happened in a building on Main Street in the village of Alexandria. It has businesses and apartments inside. Martha's Bath and Body just opened on the ground level about six months ago.

“I guess you just dust yourself off and start over, don't know what else to say," Martha’s co-owner Ben Gorringe said.

After selling products at farmers markets and around the community for years, he said the shop was a dream. It looks a lot different than it did last week. What was a space filled with soap and lotion is now empty, damaged, and covered in soot.

The fire started in a different part of the building.

“The tenants upstairs, I think, have it the worst,” Gorringe said. “They’re homeless now. I don’t know where they’re living but hopefully, they all found spots. And I think they got the brunt of it, they’re the ones that we’re most concerned about.”

Ten different fire departments helped put the flames out and get people out of the building, according to Michael Theisen, chief of the St. Albans Township Fire Department. Theisen said everyone got out.

A lifelong resident of the area who is helping affected families said five families were displaced.

“This is one of our major incidents here locally," Theisen said. "This is up there, top three for sure, in terms of major incidents."

Donation bins for the families have been placed around town. Various clothing items are needed, according to a community member working with the Alexandria Community Church. Alexandria Christian Church and Alexandria Baptist have also been helping. One of the bins is at Ragamuffins Coffee, which is right across the street from where the fire happened.

“There were kids that lived over there, and they’ve got nothing,” Ragamuffins owner Don Hooper said. “Nobody could walk away with anything, so that's heartbreaking. That's why we have the boxes."

Monetary donations can be made at the churches. Organizers said checks can be made out to "Alexandria Community Church" with "Fire Fund" in the memo line. The community has also helped Martha's, assisting with cleanup.

"It was kind of nice to see a community come together for that, but also sad that months of work, now it needs to be redone," Gorringe said.