Charleston Fire Chief Kevin Hodges said late Thursday, Dec. 3, that he did not yet know the probable cause of an early-morning fire Monday, Nov. 30, that destroyed 32 Market & Deli.
The convenience store, located at 105 Clay St. in Charleston, was gutted and the roof destroyed by the fire, with only a few sections of exterior wall surviving the inferno.
While firefighters spray water on some hot spots early Monday, Nov. 30, store personnel (right) inspect the crumbling walls and charred contents of a rear storage area at the 32 Market & Deli store in Charleston. (Photo by Clay McFerrin)
Hodges said the fire marshal’s office was notified as a matter of procedure. An investigator from that office combed the still smoldering rubble Monday.
A passing motorist reported the fire to authorities at 3:57 a.m. The business was closed with no one inside at the time, Hodges noted.
Charleston and Spring Hill fire units responded.
Located at the corner of Clay and West Main streets — an intersection of state highways 32 and 35 — the store has been a high-traffic area for decades, especially for pedestrians of west Charleston neighborhoods within walking distance.
Numerous previous owners have operated a business at the location. In the early 1980s, J.D. Newsom Jr. owned a grocery store, Newsom's Pic Pac, at the site. Later, Sayle Oil Company opened its first Gas Mart branded convenience store at the location.
