BALLINGER, Texas (KTAB/KRBC) – A large fire broke out in Ballinger over the weekend, and victims are starting their weeks by cleaning up the ashes.

The first call to the Ballinger Fire Department (BFD) came in right around 7:50 p.m. Saturday when a fire began along North 9th Street at Ballinger Home Health’s storage building. Thankfully, the fire department lives right next door and were responding to the blaze in no time at all. However, 18 vehicles were kept in that storage building. One was damaged by the flames, and the others took in some smoke damage.

Another nearby business also suffered fire damages. Shelby Kalina recalled when she first heard about the fire, rushing to her business Apples N Spice Florist on North 8th Street right behind Ballinger Home Health.

“Smoke, lots of black smoke. The flames were coming over the top of my building,” described Kalina.

Kalina faced real fears that her floral business she founded 16 years ago could be taken by the massive flames. The vehicle she uses to make floral deliveries, which was parked in the alley between her business and the fire, was the worst of it in the way of damages. She said she was grateful for insurance to help her get through the damages.

“Running up to my business that I worked so hard, thinking it was fixing to be gone, was- it was awful. It was awful. My suburban itself is going to be a big loss, and then going through inventory. Yeah, I would say several thousand dollars in damage,” Kalina told KTAB/KRBC.

One of many businesses near the flames, Kalina shared, even the fire department nextdoor was working to prevent their items from catching fire as well.

“They were pulling out all their fire trucks, they were trying to get everything out, too, there next door. We were all in the line of fire,” said Kalina.

Business owners like Kalina said they were thankful for their neighboring first responders, alongside other responding agencies, for preventing the fire from spreading.

“If it were to jump our alley and hit our businesses, we’re a long row of a bunch of them, it could have been completely devastating. Everytime I looked up under one of the firefighters hats, it was somebody I knew… It was people that were fighting to save my family’s business, and that’s what is important in a small town,” Kalina expressed gratitude.

Stressing the importance and benefits of volunteer fire departments, Kalina added, “Those people put their life on the line to come here and save our business, and we always want to give back to them so they can continue to do what they do.”

At this time, the cause of the fire remains under investigation, but the Texas State Fire Marshal has been contacted to assist.