Temporary location open after Napa Auto Parts fire in Weed

Napa Auto Parts has opened a temporary location at 174 Main Street in Weed after a fire completely destroyed the inside of their Weed Boulevard store Dec. 30.

Leslie Cole, who owns both the Weed and Mount Shasta Napa Auto Parts locations with her husband Doug, said insurance investigators concluded the fire was started outside the building, possibly by transients to keep warm during the extreme cold spell.

“It’s a metal building, but the fire went under the metal and down the back wall, melting all the hoses and belts,” said Cole.

Weed Fire Chief Darin Quigley said the fire was reported around 9:30 a.m. and when fire personnel got to the scene, black smoke completely filled the building all the way to the floor.

They had to break out the windows and the fire went out fairly quickly, in about five minutes, with the use of a single hose, Quigley said.

Because the fire began in the back, where all the stock supplies were stored, the amount of material burned and smoke damage was extensive, said Quigley.

Also responding via an automatic aid agreement was CAL FIRE, Mount Shasta Fire Protection District and Hammond Ranch Fire Department, Quigley said.

Napa’s temporary location, inside of the old Carquest building near the Palace Theatre, will be used until the Coles rebuild their store on Weed Boulevard.

“We’re going to start tearing the building down next week so we can rebuild,” Cole said. She hopes they will be able to reopen in their original location by the end of this summer.