Owner won't let his boat repair business go under after fire destroys his workshop – WSOC TV

Union County said it took 50 firefighters to bring the fire under control.

Flames captured on video reached a propane tank and blew out the store's garage door about 50 feet from the building.

“It’s scary,” Thompson said. “That’s why I’m so grateful there were no firefighters at the time (of the explosion). We wouldn't talk about metal, we would talk about lives.

No injuries were reported, but Thompson said he was struggling emotionally and financially.

“More than heat damage. It’s just gone,” he said.

Insurance won't cover the majority of what he lost, Thompson said.

“All of this was extremely high accountability, zero on content, being inventory tools, nothing. So that’s what I own now,” he said of the aftermath.

Thompson said nothing could ruin the relationships he had built with his customers, despite the fire that destroyed his entire inventory.

[ GoFundMe: Help Ron Rebuild His Marine & Cycle Shop ]

He's grateful to the person who created a GoFundMe and the strangers who donated more than $5,000 in two days.

“I think it’s the people around me that have kept me sane, if that’s what you want to call it,” he said.

Carolina Marine and Cycle is in need of a new building, tools and supplies.

VIDEO: Arrest on US 74 in Union County leads to road closure