How Christmas trees can help after fire devastates Burns small business

The Christmas Trees, ranging from 2 feet to 25 feet tall, remain wrapped while Raul Colin and his family work to salvage the burned remains of a home on his small business' property. 

Colin owns Burns Garden Center, a gardening and landscaping business he started with his father four years ago. 

Most of the house and attached shed at the garden center, located on Highway 47 near the Dickson city limits, was lost in a Sunday morning fire. The building served as the location for sales, administrative work, and as the home for Colin’s parents and brother. 

Since the devastating blaze, many Burns neighbors have asked how they can help. 

“People have been awesome. There are so many good people out there,” said Colin, adding that his family are not the type to ask for help. 

He said they were somewhat embarrassed by the attention and donations, but very appreciative. 

“We started with nothing, you know? We didn’t have anything,” Colin said. “I know it will be hard, but we will do it again. My father started it all with a push mower.”  

In addition to various hand tools, Colin lost generators, pressure washers, weedeaters, trimmers, fertilizer — and a family dog and cat died in the fire, he said. The cause, he said was a wood stove combined with the surrounding fertilizer that caused the fire to spread quickly. 

The Burns Fire Department, Dickson County Fire and Rescue, and City of Dickson Fire Department responded to the fire that was reported about 5 a.m. Sunday. 

“We lost almost everything in the house,” Colin said. 

As the movement continues around the property, with family and staff re-positioning landscaping products for display, truckloads of Christmas trees are stacked out of the way. Colin said the trees recently arrived and have been difficult to work around with space limited. 

On Facebook, posts have circulated asking locals to buy the trees to help out the family. 

Colin said the garden center can only accept cash and check currently since the business is waiting for an electrical and internet connection due to the fire. 

He hoped to have the trees set up and displayed soon, but said they are for sale.