FRIDAY HARBOR FIRE

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List of stories about May 9 Friday Harbor fire

Cash, ice, lipstick recovered from fire site

posted 05/12/02
San Juan Island resident Michelle Melbourne received a birthday present one day late. Her purse which contained her just-cashed paychecks was retrieved from the debris at Friday Harbor Grocery store on Saturday, May 11. "It's amazing what survives," said Fire Chief Bob Low.

Hungry Clam owner Stacey said he found a plastic fork intact in the debris. Bags of ice were also found in coolers. The cash register from the restaurant was retrieved. Some of the bills were singed.

Money from the grocery store's ATM machine and safe also survived the blaze. The cash in the registers burned up. Cash from San Juan Florist's cash register did not burn. Low says the fire in the flower shop was out in half an hour. The grocery store burned the entire time. Flowers saved from the flower shop were set up on the sidewalk. People were buying the singed flowers Saturday with the proceeds used as a donation to the florist shop owners.

On Sunday, May 12, volunteer firefighters retrieved two purses from the remains of the florist shop. Peggy Fitzgerald's Dooney Bourke purse made it through the fire in much better shape then her daughter's discount store purse. Most of the contents were intact, including a lipstick.

Low said recovery of valuables was a priority Saturday, May 11.

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