‘We’ll rebuild’

By Sarah Thompson
FIRE has gutted an Emerald pizza shop, leaving the owner devastated and facing financial hardship.
Travis Folwell, owner of T-Mans Pizza Cafe on Main Road, was woken at 2.30am last Thursday, 20 April, by a phone call informing him of the electrical fire that had ripped through the shop, just hours after it had closed for the night.
It is believed that the fire was caused by an electrical fault in the cash register.
“My initial reaction was to ask ‘is it bad?’ and the guy said ‘it’s pretty bad’.
“Then I just panicked, I guess,” Mr Folwell said.
Four trucks and 18 firefighters extinguished the fire within 20 minutes before it could spread to adjoining businesses.
Emerald police said that CFA investigators also attended the blaze and, although they suspect it to be electrical, the cause of the fire is yet to be officially determined.
“The building was heavily smoke logged and appeared to be burning for some time,” Emerald CFA captain Paul Yandle said.
“The fire inside involved the whole serving counter and front of building but the actual fire damage was contained to the front.”
Fire and police crews told Mr Folwell that if they had taken longer to get to the shop, the fire could have been a lot worse.
“I actually thought it wasn’t that bad at first, but it gets worse every time I see it,” Mr Folwell said.
“I can’t believe it.
“I’m just devastated.”
Mr Folwell believes that it will cost him up to $90,000 to get back in business.
He said nothing survived the smoke damage except for a one metre statue which he received from his mother as a present when the shop opened.
Although the statue is now charcoal, it represents Mr Folwell’s fighting spirit to have the shop trading soon.
A sign on the window enforces this positive attitude – ‘Apology to our valued customers, due to an unforeseen fire, T-MANS is closed for the moment. However, we will be back as soon as possible, bigger and better than ever,’ it says.
Mr Folwell hopes to be reopened by late May.
“I’m hoping we’ll be open within a month.
“It’s all in the hands of the insurers,” he said.