Owner won’t let boat repair business sink after fire destroys shop

STALLINGS, N.C. — A fire destroyed Carolina Marine and Cycle Sunday morning in Stallings but the owner said he will not let his business sink.

“It got so hot in here that the tools fused, melted together. The metal parts. The rest of it is just gone,” said Ronald Thompson, who has been in business for 30 years.

Union County said it took 50 firefighters to control the blaze.

Video caught flames reach a propane tank and blast the shop’s garage door about 50 feet from the building.

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

No injuries were reported, however, Thompson said he is struggling emotionally and financially.

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

Insurance won’t cover a majority of what he lost, Thompson said.

“All that was extremely high liability, zero on contents, being inventory tools, nothing. So, this is what I own now,” he said about the aftermath.

Thompson said nothing can ruin the relationships he built with customers, despite the fire destroying his entire inventory.

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

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

Carolina Marine and Cycle needs a new building, tools, and supplies.

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