Update: Fire Rips Through Shopping Center

A late-night fire gutted a store Tuesday and damaged several adjacent businesses, leaving fire investigators to comb through the debris Wednesday in hopes of finding the cause. 

Randy Edwards, chief of the Wade Hampton Fire Department, said the WHFD was dispatched to 1366 North Pleasantburg Drive at roughly 11:15 p.m. When they arrived on scene, the structure was fully involved, with flames shooting out of the top of the building. 

Edwards said that his department, aided by the City of Greenville Fire Department and Piedmont Park Fire Department, was able to get the blaze under control in 45 minutes. 

A clothing store, L.A. Fashions, was a total loss. Other stores, including Beads Galore, Accessories Galore and Brockman's Menswear suffered damage. 

"We had heavy smoke damage, and a little water damage obviously from when the firefighters were trying to put it out," said Andrew Smart, the son-in-law of owners Brockman's owners Jerry and Barbara Brockman. 

Smart said it was too early to tell when the store, which is approaching its 30th year in business, would re-open. 

"We're thankful we had a firewall," Barbara Brockman said. "However, smoke damage can be just as bad as fire damage. We're thankful for the Wade Hampton Fire Department, and we're thankful no one was hurt."  

Meanwhile, L.A. Fashions owner V.S. Joseph stood forlorn Wednesday morning as he watched WHFD personnel sift through the charred rubble of his business to look for clues as to what may have caused the fire. Edwards said he had nothing to release as to the point of origin or the cause Wednesday. 

"All my life is in there," Joseph said. "It's a big loss for me." 

Joseph said he was informed of the fire at 1 a.m. He confirmed he did have insurance on the building, but was unsure of how much it would cover. L.A. Fashions had been in operation for nearly five years, after opening in September of 2006. 

Most of the adjacent buildings suffered either smoke damage or roof damage, Edwards said.