Portion of Hazel Dell strip mall remains closed after fire

Business owners at a Hazel Dell strip mall remained locked out of their stores Sunday following a three-alarm fire that affected nine businesses Saturday.

Since the fire was extinguished, the roof of the strip mall partially collapsed. The collapse was a major reason the building was closed Sunday, said Clay Bond, a response coordinator with Fire Industry Restoration Experts.

While no injuries occurred, firefighters fought the damaging blaze for more than 40 minutes at the Holly Park Shopping Center on Northeast Highway 99. After starting from a light fixture behind Chic Boutique around 2 p.m., the fire spread through a common attic of the strip mall.

A security guard watched the building Sunday as the parking lot outside was closed off and the restoration experts worked to secure the structure. The restoration experts spent until midnight Saturday and much of Sunday on the scene.

“We don’t want anybody in there,” Bond said.

In addition to Chic Boutique — its windows replaced by wooden boards Sunday — Denim & Frills and a chiropractor’s office sustained fire damage in their offices, while others had destruction from smoke or water. While he didn’t offer an exact estimate, Bond said the damage costs will be “well over $1 million.”

Business owners were told Saturday the cause of the damage would likely take about a week to determine.