Marine business lost to IOW industrial fire reopens in Carrolton

CARROLLTON, Va. (WAVY) — A Smithfield industrial fire in January left more than a dozen small businesses in ashes, including a boat repair shop named Stuarts Marine.

10 On Your Side visited the business days after the fire. One of the owners, David Stuart, showed us the unbelievable damage inside and out. One of the larger boats they were working on was unrecognizable, appearing as if it melted into the ground.

Much of the metal in Stuart’s shop turned to liquid, and all of their expensive tools were coated in a thick rust. Stuart and his father told us the shop was uninsurable, since the warehouse had too many industrial businesses close together, making it a fire hazard.

This came at a bad time for the family, since Stuart’s father, David Stuart Sr., was recently diagnosed with cancer.

Despite all this, they were able to open in a new location. Thanks to a GoFundMe page and help from the community, they were able to lease a new place in Carrollton, not far from their old location. They were also able to buy a massive set of new tools.

Stuart is still trying to bring back a lot of their old tools through a chemical bathing process, since many of them are specialized and cannot be bought anymore. He said they will need to make some of these custom tools throughout the year.

Stuart even kept a couple of the boat engines that were burnt to a crisp in the fire. They serve as both a conversation starter — and a stark reminder of what they came back from.

“It’s been a little rough,” Stuart said, “It’s been quite a challenge to come back from what we came from. But we got through.”

Investigators have since said the fire was caused by an accident.