FRANKLIN TWP — An electrical fire Saturday morning closed, but did not significantly damage the interior of the Trader Horn store on Route 422.

The store is expected to reopen once the electricity is turned back on, said Pat Green, the store’s operations manager, this morning.

Prospect Fire Chief Frank Wilson said the fire started in the front corner of the hardware store about 10 a.m. and spread up the wall and back the second floor ceiling and roof.

Wilson said most of the merchandise on the first floor was not badly damaged by the flames, but said there was some water damage.

Green said the building’s second, underlying flat roof prevented more damage from occurring.

“That saved all the stuff in the store,” Green said.

He said the upstairs was used for storage.

“There’s a lot of inventory in there,” Green said.

He said the store, which employs roughly 20 people, could reopen before repairs are made to the roof.

Wilson estimated the damage to the building at more than $50,000, but said it was repairable.

The building is insured.

As of this morning, Green was awaiting for an official damage estimate from the insurer.

Wilson said the exact cause of the fire is unknown beyond it being electrical in nature.

“It’s definitely electric,” Wilson said at the scene. “But I don’t know how it started.”

A transformer box on a utility pole beside the building also was burnt.

Wilson said there were five employees in the store at the time of the fire but no customers. No one was injured.