LETTER from SCHOENS at the bottom of this page....
Photo by Jim Eshleman
A frightening, explosive holocaust consumes Schoen's Auto Supply early Sunday morning July 29. Hardin Volunteer fire fighters try to tame the beast but it turns their spray to steam and dies out only after there's nothing left to consume.
Early morning Fire Destroys
Schoen’s Auto Supply
by Wes Eben
Big Horn County News
An early Sunday morning fire totally destroyed Schoen’s Auto Supply Store located at the corner of Cheyenne and Third St. just east of downtown Hardin.
The fire was called in via cell 911 at 3:21 a.m; the fire alarm went off at 3:22 and Hardin Volunteer Fireman were on scene within eight minutes.
The glow of the fire could be seen from all over the city. "Flames were shooting 20 to 30 feet in the air when we arrived," commented firefighter Mark Betts in a Monday morning conversation about the fire. "We knew we weren’t going inside."
"I opened the side door," stated Bob, "felt the heat and quickly closed it not wanting any more oxygen in there." Firemen reported flames were shooting through the ceiling in the Northeast corner of the building as they arrived indicating the area where the fire may have started.
At 10:15 a.m. Sunday morning, as he stood looking at the blackened hulk of what used to be Schoen’s Auto Supply, Mark turned to this reporter and stated with a smile on his face, "We saved my Mustang." I turned looking the direction he pointed expecting to see a car. What I saw was a small gray, twisted piece of metal that had been a toy pedal car.
The reality is they lost everything. A1956 Studebaker Hawk, a 1947 Studebaker one and a half ton truck along with a WW II Weasel all were parked in the shop area.
When asked where it started, Mark replied, the smile now frozen on his face, "It started in the back. They just couldn’t get it stopped. It kept coming and coming." His voice trailed off.
Bob added. "We thought we could keep it in the back but it broke through the two openings (between the shop and the store)". An attempt at levity followed when a friend showed up to offer comfort. "You looking for some more bricks?" Bob asked. The building has a brick exterior. He laughed as he stated, "I have 1927 bricks and 1945 bricks. The mortar comes off the 1927 real easy." The laugh quickly died away as he looked back at the blackened building that had been his business.
The building was originally built in 1927 as Big Horn Implement. In 1945 Darroll Warren returned from the war and added on to the South end expanding the building to it’s present size.
"Harvey Warren’s dad built this front section then the Fox Service Center across the street and Triangle Motors, all right after the war, " explained Bob.
Schoen bought the building in 1985 and moved his business from what now is Jay’s Auto Body shop.
Walking along the West side of the building Bob noticed his office area was not totally burned. After a closer look he called fire chief Larry Vandersloot asking him to bring some of his crew back. He explained, "The file cabinets look like they have not been very hot. There is plastic on them that did not melt and her (Glennine’s) chair wasn’t even touched. There is a fire smoldering in the floor and the roof if we can get that out maybe we can save the records."
Vandersloot called in some of his crew at 10:30 a.m. and they were able to put out the smoldering fire and save the records. They also had to put down several other hot spots that had erupted in the middle of all the debris covering the main showroom area.
Vandersloot, after looking at the casement windows in the two offices turned to Bob saying, "We saved two windows." Bob laughed. He later jokingly thanked Vandersloot for saving the foundation. That is all that will be left after the fire inspector finishes his task.
The walls, with cracks down both the East and West sides and a bulge and crack in the South one, are no longer structurally sound.
When asked about rebuilding Bob looked over with a blank smile waving his hand. "I haven’t had time to think about it," he replied. Of course he hasn’t. He’s still trying to get his mind around the loss.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BOB SCHOEN, owner of the destroyed business,
is a retired Hardin Volunteer Fire Dept. member,
Mark, their son, has put many years into the family business as well --
and one of the businesses full-time employees is
Jim Wedel / a current and very active member of the dept.
The entire community is deeply saddened by this fire and the
far-reaching consequences it leaves.
WE HOPE and PRAY they can re-build and re-open SOON!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
OPEN Letter from the Schoen's....
Dear Hardin Volunteer Firemen:
No words we can write would be able to convey the feeling we have for the community support to our family during the loss of Schoen’s Auto Supply last week. The feeling of losing the foundation of many years of success and hard work has been filled with unbelievable emotion and devastation for our family.
The support of the community’s presence, kind words, food, thoughts and prayers will be forever remembered. We are honored to be a part of this community because of the people like you and the town/county you represent. Once again, you have shown your support for people in a time of crisis.
A special thank you goes out to the Hardin Volunteer Fire Department. Your efforts and time spent were very much appreciated.
I, Bob Schoen, am honored to be a part of your group.
Thank you,
Bob and Glennine Schoen
Mark Schoen
Michelle and Kevin Nelson
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