W.D. Bryant in Corbin to reopen this week

Less than a week after W.D. Bryant and Sons in Corbin was damaged by fire, company officials say the store will be reopening.

Employees were back inside the building on South Main Street Monday working to clean up the damage.

Officials said the goal is to have the mower shop open Tuesday and the remainder of the store open by the end of the week.

That is still tentative,” officials said.

While customers may be restricted to the mower shop, officials said additional items from the store may be available.

“Our employees will be able to run and get items off of the shelf,” store officials said.

Darren Bryant, who co-owns the store along with his cousins Lee and William and their partner, Jeff Earnest, said the immediate goal is to be able to serve the customers once again.

“We didn’t know what to expect,” Darren Bryant said of the store when employees were able to get back inside and begin cleanup.

Darren Bryant credited the Corbin Fire Department for the quick response to the scene Friday and work to extinguish the blaze.

Firefighters were called to the scene at approximately 11:45 a.m. in response to reports of an explosion at the store.

Witnesses reported hearing multiple explosions in a storage area at the back of the building containing paint and other chemicals.

Firefighters said the blaze got up into the drop ceiling, forcing them to pull down sections to ensure the fire was extinguished.

Chief Barry McDonald said the cause of the fire remains under investigation.