NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A small business owner’s community has rallied around him after his auto shop caught fire.
It took firefighters hours to put out the flames, and they said the blaze was likely caused by a space heater. King Sport Cars and Auto Repairs in Madison caught on fire Tuesday, Jan. 21.
Crews rushed in and saved what they could.
“I was inside when that happened, but I saw the smoke through my camera as I walked outside,” owner Jemel Merani said. “It was out of control.”
Neighbors said Merani is the go-to guy for car repairs in the area. He’s owned this shop for nearly a decade.
“A lot of folks will come through and rave about how honest he is about anything and everything,” coworker Ryber Ali said. “Whether he’s making a dollar or he’s at a loss for a dollar.”
Several cars they were working on were damaged in the fire and officials said the office was a total loss. However, the garage is still standing, so they’re open for business.
“It’s a huge loss, not just to the business itself and Jemel and his family, but to the entire community that he does serve,” Ali added.
Merani told News 2 it took a while for the scale of the tragedy to sink in.
“I was on my feet putting my office back in my garage…but on Monday, when I wake up and I look at it, I know how big of a mess I had.”
People have continuet to stop by and see how they could help Merani out. You can follow this link to donate to a GoFundMe and support Merani’s family.
