Charitable group's loss likely in tens of thousands of dollars after Kentville fire, owner says

The owner of a non-profit business damaged in a large fire in Kentville, N.S.,on Tuesday says his organization's losslikely amounts totens of thousands of dollars.

John Andrew is the owner of The Purple Peacock thrift shop on Aberdeen Street, a social enterprise of the Valley Connect Outreach Association. Profits from the store go to charity and the store also trains people facing obstacles to employment.

Andrewsaid he rushed to the scene after a volunteer calledto tellhim about the fire.

"The place was pretty engulfed, this whole street actually, you wouldn't be able to see anything on this street. It was very black with smoke," Andrew told CBC News.

Racks of blackened clothing and burnt items could be seen outside the store on Tuesday.

Andrew said he felt disheartened to see the fire. He said the shop contained a considerable number of donated itemsand a lot of effort had been put into making it feel like a boutique. He said the store had just celebrated its one-year anniversary a few days ago, and repairs will probably take at least six months.

"The profit would have been, you know, significant in six months. And so we are going to have to sort out what we're going to do. I've already had people reach out by Facebook Messenger andtext and say 'What can I do? We want to help,'" Andrew said.

Theoutreach association also runs shelters and a soup kitchen for vulnerable people in the area, Andrew said. He said the association will still be looking for donated items and will be fundraising until they can get thestore open again.

Earlier on Tuesday, Chief Scott Hamilton of the Kentville Volunteer Fire Department saidno injuries had been reported afterfire broke out in the commercial building.

The fireprompted evacuations from surrounding buildings and traffic had to be detoured.

Smoke could be seen billowing around MainStreet just before noon on Tuesday.

PeggyMcCalla, 76, waswith friendswhen she heard sirens and spotted a puff of smoke. They decided to pull over on Main Street.

"I couldn't see flames but suddenly there was a huge wall of thick black smoke," she said.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.