Fire at century-old St. Paul building destroys hair salon
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- A St. Paul salon is picking up the pieces after a fire damaged the century-old building.
Christina Erdman says the last few days have been a whirlwind. She was running errands Sunday night when she got the call that her business, Westside HairCare, was on fire.
"I feel very defeated," she said. "I purchased the building eight months ago and I've been working nonstop, super hard to make it what I wanted down here. I had just finished and then this happened."
The apartment above the salon, where one of the stylists lives, has been deemed a total loss. The water from fighting the fire and rain on Sunday spilled through the damage above, causing even more damage below.
"I mean, just to see this building that's been part of our community and this business be part of our community for so many years that just to see something like this happen," said Jackie Borgan, the previous owner and part-time stylist. "Emotionally, it's been really upsetting.
Erdman says thankfully, the community has stepped up with nearby salons taking them in.
"They all opened their doors for us to help us out. And they're all rearranging their schedule and their chairs to make room for us," Erdman said.
Now Erdman can focus on getting the doors open again as soon as possible. She says it will be at least a month or two before she can open again. A fundraiser to help the stylists has raised more than $4,000 so far.