MIDDLETOWN >> Dozens of firefighters from all over the county rushed to Middletown on Memorial Day to put out a fire that gutted Hardester’s Market & Hardware, leaving at least one firefighter injured.
The store, located on Calistoga Road, suffered from an aggressive-spread of flames that appeared to have started in the back of the structure, moving its way to the front. Firefighters responded to the report of heavy smoke seen in the area, only to find the back wall of Hardester’s fully engulfed and propane tanks exploding inside, according to initial scanner reports shortly before 3 p.m.
Crews from Lake County Fire, Kelseyville, Lakeport, Cal Fire, and Calistoga, totaling over 50 firefighters, were among those attending the blaze. Among the firefighters first arriving at the scene, one was reported to have sustained injuries and was airlifted out of the county to treat the wounds.
Also at the scene was the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, which helped divert traffic. Roads near the store remained closed for several hours into the evening. By 4: 25 p.m. the fire was reported as contained but not in full control, as firefighters battled with multiple hot spots inside the structure.
Fire personnel remained at the scene for several hours, with high activity and road closures predicted well into Monday night.
Eyewitnesses took to social media to share photographs as the incident developed. The aftermath showed a saddening image Hardester’s crumbling down, with skies covered in dark, dense smoke.
One local said via Facebook, “[T]his is very sad. The store survived the horrible fires about [two] years ago and now this.”
Hardester’s Market and Hardware had overcome the wrath of the Valley Fire. Since 1943 the store had severed Southern Lake County customers, selling a variety of products from “lumber to specialty prepared deli salads.”
Hardester’s has two other locations located in Hidden Valley Lake and Cobb.
