Residents of Smithville, Missouri, are leaning on each other after a catastrophic fire raged through and demolished a beloved collection of small businesses Monday.

Smithville Plaza strip mall was home to Westlake Chinese Restaurant, La Fuente Mexican Restaurant, Pizza Shoppe, Lakeside Smoke, H&R Block and other shops that were closed at the time. 

Despondent locals are calling the event: 

Devastating. 

A heavy blow. 

An unimaginable loss. 

A horrible day. 

A heartbreaking hit. 

Beyond comprehension. 

“These are not just storefronts,” community magazine The Ville, writes. “They are livelihoods, memories, first jobs, comfort traditions, and familiar faces that make Smithville feel like home.” 

“Every fire is major. Every fire is a serious fire to somebody,” explains Smithville Fire Chief Dave Cline, yet this was the biggest fire he’s ever seen in the district in his 24-year career. 

The Smithville Area Fire Protection District received a call at 1:56 p.m. on Monday alerting it that the Westlake Chinese Restaurant was having a kitchen fire. The caller said a Wok caught on fire on the stovetop but the fire was contained. 

However, SAFD units near the scene reported they could see flames and smoke through the roof of the building. 

“It was obviously a well-involved fire at that time,” Cline said. “It appears that there was a delay in reporting the fire and when they did report the fire they stated it was out.”

Even though the caller said the fire was under control, the fire station dispatched a full response at 1:57 p.m. When firefighters arrived at 2:02 p.m., people were still evacuating the Pizza Shoppe and firefighters were able to rescue one person who was still inside Westlake Chinese. 

One fireman was struck by something as the building’s facade collapsed, but he was evaluated at the scene and was cleared to return to working on the fire. Aside from that, no other injuries were reported. 

Wind gusts up to 37 mph played a major role in how large the fire grew and how quickly it spread. A door was left open in the back of the Chinese restaurant, allowing the wind to blow through the building and fuel the flames. 

Westlake Chinese didn’t have a sprinkler system, but did have a fire suppression hood and fire walls. Cline says it’s unclear if the hood worked correctly, and since it was an older building the fire walls might’ve had penetrations prior to the fire. 

The wind blew embers and chunks of burning material, which increased the potential for other fires to start. Roughly 100 feet away in the lot east of the plaza, some grass caught fire and spread to the dumpster behind Burton’s Bait and Tackle, which was not connected to the plaza. 

The firefighters were worried the fire could spread to the A.V.A Rvs storage facility near the plaza, but thankfully it didn’t. 

SAFD was on the scene until 10 p.m. and was then called to an intentional brush fire at the intersection of Highway 92 and Hornback Road. They fought that fire until 2 a.m., making it a “very long night,” the chief said.

Cline says “we’re not out of the woods yet” in this fire season. High winds, high temperatures and low humidity cumulate to form a “dramatic fire effect.” 

Even though the next few days promise rain for the area, he says the grass undergrowth needs to sprout, which could take some time. 

“People think that when we get rain that it lessens the danger, which isn’t necessarily true because the wind dries out all those dead and dormant grasses, so even if the ground underneath there is muddy, the grasses themselves are still dry and easily burned. …

“It’s been rough this year. We’ve had several large brush fires.” 

Cline encourages everyone to call for help for any type of fire, even if they think it’s under control. 

“We just encourage everyone to call early. We’re more than happy to respond and check it out to just ensure. … Just call us – always call us in.”

Residents responded to SAFD’s Facebook post exuding gratitude for the town’s heroes and shock that nobody was hurt. 

“At the end of the day, all went home to their loved ones,” one comment reads. “The odds were against you all from the start. Kudos and thank you to all FF’s, LEO’S, and Medics. ”

“And to think anyone would rush in to a building that’s on fire in order to possibly rescue someone, is more than brave, it’s beyond my comprehension,” says another. “I was praying that no one got hurt. You and all the first [responders] are amazing people, and we are lucky to have you.”

“Thank you all for keeping everyone safe. Love this town. Prayers for all the businesses and glad everyone is safe. [Life] is what matters. Businesses can relocate. Thank God for all our first responders ”

The owners of Westlake Chinese told Fox4 they’re ready to retire after the fire. Lakeside Smoke, Pizza Shoppe and H&R Block announced in various social media posts that they plan to move locations or use a temporary space for now. 

La Fuente was in the process of doubling its current space and had already done a lot of remodeling work, Cline says. The restaurant hasn’t announced what comes next for them but a GoFundMe has been started to help the family business owners. 

Smithville businesses and residents have rallied to help raise money for those affected by the fire, with one instance being a community cornhole tournament and donation event scheduled for April 11. 

“What has already been clear over the past 24 hours is the strength and compassion of this community,” Smithville Police Chief Jason Lockridge wrote in an email to The Heartlander. “We have seen people rally around the affected business owners and employees almost immediately, and several fundraising efforts are already underway to help those impacted by this fire.

“This has been a difficult loss for many people, and recovery will not happen overnight. … Even so, the support this community has shown is a powerful reminder of what makes Smithville a great place to live.”