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Do-Cut plans to rebuild
By Elise Franco
Canfield
The owner of Do-Cut True Value Hardware says he plans to rebuild his store, destroyed by fire.
Dante Terzigni said the fire, which started about 2 a.m. Wednesday, is devastating. He said the store has been a staple of the Mahoning Valley for more than three decades.
“We’re devastated right now and in total shock,” he said. “But our immediate plan is to rebuild.”
Terzigni and at least a half- dozen Do-Cut employees stood at the edge of the parking lot at 6422 S. Raccoon Road on Wednesday and watched tearfully as fire crews inspected the charred remains of the building.
Among them was Joe Bruno, who has worked for Do-Cut 30 years.
“There’s really not much to say,” he said. “I found out at about 5 a.m., and I was just shocked.”
Don Hutchison, chief of the Cardinal Joint Fire District, said crews from Austintown, Beaver, Green, Boardman and Ellsworth assisted in putting out the fire.
When firefighters got to the scene, the store was already engulfed in smoke, but little fire was visible, Hutchison said.
“Our first two trucks arrived and saw smoke coming out of the entire roof and the back of the building,” he said. “It seemed to be a hidden fire.”
Hutchison said the fire, which spread quickly, took about two hours to extinguish. The business was a total loss, he said. The total market value of the 17,980 square-foot-property is $618,500, according to the Mahoning County Auditor’s website.
“No one was injured, but it was touchy for a while,” he said. “We had butane bottles going off, exploding, for a good 20 minutes at one point.”
The cause of the fire is still unknown, and the state fire marshal was called in to investigate, Hutchison said.
The chief said crews spent most of Wednesday investigating and securing the site. He said the last fire of this size in Canfield was about four years ago.
“The last time we had a fire this big was the [Mahoning County Career and Technical Center] in 2008,” he said.
Terzigni said Do-Cut’s sister store at 3375 Youngstown Road in Warren is open and will do its best to handle customer needs. He said anyone who had equipment at the Canfield store should contact the Warren store at 330-369-2345.
“We have great faith in our family, friends, employees and customers,” he said. “They’ve always supported us, and we will do the same for them.
“We owe a lot to the Valley.”