Courtesy Photo Firefighters detach a hose from a fire hydrant after putting out a fire at Lutes Plaza in Alpena on April 19. The fire caused damage to several businesses

ALPENA — At least three business owners who were forced to close their businesses after receiving damage from a fire on April 19 vow to do what it takes to reopen and continue to serve their customers.

Zen Fitness and Bella U Salon, along with several other small businesses in the Lutes Plaza, received minimal damage, while a pair of shops, including Canine Communication, were nearly complete losses.

Elle Bee, owner of Canine Communication, said she received a phone call during the overnight hours of April 19 notifying her that the plaza was on fire, including her business. Bee, who lives in Posen, hurried to Alpena, not realizing how bad the fire and damage from it were going to be.

As Bee neared the strip of businesses located on U.S.-23 South, police had the road closed. She was stopped from getting closer to the scene and told that her shop was a complete loss.

That, she said, is when the reality of the situation sank in. Bee said it was always a goal for her to own her own business, and now she has an empty feeling inside, but also motivation to start over with larger aspirations.

“Everything I was working toward was taken away from me,” she said. “The damage and how quickly the fire moved was shocking, and I basically watched my dreams just being ripped away. This is a bump in the road, but it is not the end of the road, and we’re actually working on ways to make my dream bigger and better.”

Jessica Bouchard owns Bella U Salon. She said her phone was on silent while she was asleep, and when her alarm went off in the morning, she saw numerous missed calls and messages telling her about the fire near her business.

She said when she was able to enter her salon, she was shocked to see the extent of the damage, mostly from smoke and soot. She added that she has already hired a cleaning company to begin the restoration work at the business, and she is just waiting for the plaza’s owner’s insurance agent to investigate the incident.

“I think I can reopen, but we are waiting on the insurance adjuster to make some decisions,” she said. “I am willing to do whatever it takes, even if I have to rebuild, to stay here.”

Zane Kipfmiller, the owner of Zen Fitness, said the police called him and broke the news about the fire to him. He said he lives across the street from the plaza and looked out his window, and saw the fire engulfing the structure.

Kipfmilller said, of all of the businesses, his shop likely received the least amount of damage, and he hopes it won’t be too long before he can reopen.

“Really, we got it the easiest because we just got a lot of smoke damage,” he said. “I do have to replace all of the plastic parts on my equipment, or throw away plastic items, and maybe replace the rubber floor. I think maybe it will be a week or maybe two, but I intend to reopen as quickly as I can.”

Upon arrival at the fire, crews found heavy fire conditions on the backside of the north end of the building. Immediate assistance was requested from Sanborn Township Fire and the Alpena Fire Department.

Michigan State Police Fire Investigators concluded that the cause of the fire is “undetermined” due to the extent and intensity of the fire.

Kipfmiller, Bee, and Bouchard all said they received a great deal of public support and well wishes from members of the community.

Bouchard said other area salons offered space so her staff could continue to serve their customers, and Bee said supporters have helped her look for a temporary location and potentially a new one if worst comes to worst. Bee said the compassion of her customers and everyone who has reached out to her has helped her get through the loss of her business.

“If it wasn’t for the support of the community, this may have been enough for me to lose my spark and give up on my dream,” Bee said. “Instead, they have given me the motivation to keep moving forward and make my business bigger and better.”

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.