The four businesses that were involved in Monday’s alleyway arsonist fire are all closed until further notice, as they assess the scope of the damage and begin to rebuild.
According to Seattle Fire, Habitude and Red Star Taco Bar sustained a total of $190,000 worth of damage.
Habitude Salon has moved all their stylists to the Ballard location. “The roof is leaking and still no power,” they wrote on their Facebook page on Wednesday. “We have moved all stylists and appointments to our Ballard location until January 15th when we will have more information.”
Red Star Taco Bar sustained heavy damage in the blaze, but owner Billy Beckett says their insurance should cover the costs to rebuild. “We are so grateful for the outpouring of support from our friends, the local community, fellow operators and the industry as a whole. It’s been truly humbling,” he wrote on Facebook.
Art gallery Sfingiday had considerable damage, and have set up a GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild. Their goal is $50,000 — as of Thursday morning, $5,105 had been raised.
“Firefighters and police broke through the ceiling and the back of her store to put the fire out. The store has suffered severe water and fire damage, much of the art is destroyed,” they wrote on their campaign page. “This is a devastating and shocking loss for my sister, her family and the artists and employees connected with her store. We are raising money to help my sister and her family, the employees, and the artists recover the loss and damages that they have suffered.”
Neighboring restaurant Ounce of Prevention estimates $10,000 worth of damage in the fire. The Fremont restaurant has also recently had some unrelated misfortune: one of their managers stole over $10,000 from the restaurant.
“We’re proceeding properly and legally to deal with the theft and check fraud, but if we can’t get an immediate influx of money, we’ll have to close and file for bankruptcy,” owner Leslie Varney wrote on a GoFundMe campaign she set up to help them stay open. The campaign has a $7,000 goal — as of Thursday morning, $100 had been raised.
“I’m making this plea to help our employees not suffer more for what one person has done. Please consider making a donation of any amount, anything will help us. I know it’s a terrible time of year to ask, but I truly hope we can stay open, pay our amazing staff, and continue to offer this great community space to the Fremont neighborhood!”
SPD is still seeking tips to find the arsonist — call 911 if you have any information that could help police.
Feature photo of Red Star’s damage, as posted by owner Beckett on Facebook