A fire that broke out Saturday night on Main Street in downtown Batesville caused severe damage to The Studio Salon, a business that has operated in the area for more than two decades. Despite the destruction, no injuries were reported.
Batesville Fire Chief Mark McCollum said the department was paged around 8 p.m. on Oct. 31. Crews arrived within three minutes. Many firefighters had been trick-or-treating with their families on Main Street at the time.
“If they wouldn’t have been firing on all cylinders like they had to be, the outcome would not have been as good as it is,” McCollum said.
Jenifer Floyd, owner of The Studio Salon, said she learned about the fire just an hour after leaving the building.
"Panic. I was panicked and worried and, you know, just a lot of, what do I need to do?" Floyd recalled.
Examination of the salon revealed widespread damage, including burnt ceilings and water-soaked insulation in the back of the shop. Stained windows attested to the severity of the blaze. The cause of the fire has not been officially disclosed.
Neighboring businesses were impacted to a lesser degree. James Wheeler, longtime owner of Wheeler’s Boot and Shoe Repair, reported minimal damage but said repairs would delay reopening his shop by about a week.
"My front window, I’m going to have to replace. But other than that, it’s just clean up," Wheeler said. "By the last of next week, I hope I’m back in business. That’s my plans, anyhow."
Nine stylists worked at The Studio Salon alongside Floyd. They are now awaiting further updates about the building. Stylists Kassidy Pitts and Maddie Walls described the salon as a second home and said the aftermath has been deeply emotional.
“Jenifer is one of those people,” Pitts said. “She gives and gives to everyone else, and she doesn’t like to receive the help. But in this moment, we need it. And it’s home. I spend more hours here at the shop with all of these ladies than I do my own husband and my own child.”
In a show of local support, nearby salons have offered their spaces and chairs to The Studio’s stylists so they can continue working. Floyd said the offers, combined with community outreach, have given her reason to hope.
"I don’t know what else I can do or, you know, where I need to go exactly from here. But I just know that we, we love where we live,” Floyd said.
A GoFundMe campaign to help rebuild the salon was organized by a friend at another salon and is currently accepting contributions to assist with recovery efforts.
The fire was extinguished around midnight, with no reported injuries thanks to the quick response of Batesville Fire Department personnel. Efforts to assess the extent of the damage and determine the next steps for The Studio Salon remain underway.