Less than two months after a fire destroyed three Theodore automotive businesses, one of the affected operations was working to restart in a new location.
Fire officials had determined that the Aug. 14, 2009 blaze was arson, according to the follow-up report. Candy City Paint and Body, American Fleet Service and Fat Boyz Choppers were destroyed.
One business restarted; another closed
Freddie Goodman, who owned American Fleet Service and Fat Boyz Choppers, said the motorcycle shop was gone for good. American Fleet Service, however, had found a new home and was trying to continue operating.
Goodman said the restart was difficult. Recent hardships had forced him to lay off several employees while the fleet-service business worked to get back on its feet.
A snapshot of recovery after the fire
The October 2009 report documented the immediate business impact of the fire and the practical challenge of rebuilding a local operation. It did not identify a person responsible for the arson or report a later outcome of the investigation.
This article is a historical account based on information available at the time of the report.