ZELIENOPLE — When staring at the storefront of her salon, Sherri Davis couldn’t help but tear up at the sight of destruction caused by the Monday, March 30, fire on the floor above.

While she wasn’t there when the fire began, as Stylin’ With Sherri salon is closed on Mondays, she said she heard about it around 4 p.m. and came by at 5:30 p.m. to assess the damage.

“My husband called me — he works on Main Street — and he tells me that the salon was on fire. After that, I don’t remember a lot,” Davis said.

While the second-floor apartments took the brunt of the fire damage, her business was left water damaged by firefighters’ efforts to save the building.

She said after 22 years in business, it’s difficult to see her salon closed.

“It’s hard to see your hard work and dreams go up in smoke,” she said.

Davis said the community support has been overwhelming in the past day, with a number of nearby salons even offering to host her so she can continue her practice. However, she said she needed to confirm with the state cosmetology board whether she is actually able to do so.

She said the hardest part of the experience is having to disappoint her clientele, many of which are regulars.

“It’s a hit on everybody. Our clients have been faithful to us and we try to be faithful to them,” Davis said.

She also commended the first responders who were able to get the fire under control quickly, calling it a “miracle” fire did not spread to the neighboring buildings.

“The first responders were amazing to localize it and get that fire out almost immediately,” she said.

As for the future, Davis said she is deeply committed to getting the business back up and running as soon as possible, whether it’s at the salon or at a temporary location.

Stylin’ With Sherri was not the only place affected by Monday’s fire. Flowers by M.E. is a florist that shares the location, while the second floor was occupied by a resident.

While nobody was hurt and both businesses were closed, Davis said she heard the tenant had been displaced.

The ravages of Monday’s fire still lingered on Zelienople’s Main Street Tuesday.

When approaching the block where the building is located, a burning smell filled the noses of passersby. Some stopped to gawk at the damage, while others quickly walked through the slim section of still-open sidewalk. Soot was still littered across the sidewalk and roads while the larger shingles were neatly piled into a nearby wheelbarrow. Parents walking with their children were asked what happened while the children pointed at the blackened roof, now covered with a blue tarp.

Two doors north of the salon sits The Munching Moose bakery. Co-owner Nicole Hall said her father, Michael Hall, set up a table Monday evening to offer free cookies to first responders.

An employee, Amy Leech, said the experience was quite the scare.

“I thought we were in a cloud. You literally couldn’t see across the street. It was so smoky and it smelled horrid,” she said.

She said she’s never seen a serious fire before, so seeing a multidepartment response to her was like something out of a TV show.

“If you went around back and looked at the building, you could just see smoke. The only flames I saw were out front,” she said.

Across the street from the fire, employees of Elluinger’s Meat Deli & Catering said they watched the fire for some time, but the sheer amount of smoke filling the Main Street corridor forced them inside.

“Even being out in the fresh air, we couldn’t breathe. We had to come in and shut the door,” deli employee Kathy Skocich said.

She complimented the speed with which first responders were able to get to the scene, shut down Main Street and control the fire.

“They got here and it was out super quick,” she said.

She said she felt bad for the tenant and saw a number of people offer him a place to stay or to pay for a hotel room. From what she had heard, the American Red Cross is supporting him in getting back on his feet.

Next door to the florist, at C.T. McCormick Hardware, employee Steve McCormick said he didn’t even realize there was a fire next door until he saw the trucks and smoke. He called his wife to tell her, but she actually knew before him.

He said the fire had minimal impact on business Monday and Tuesday, but a lot of the customers who stopped in asked if he knew any details. He said there were also a lot of rumors flying around.

“We’ve had people calling and they think we’ve caught on fire and then all the rumors start. People said they heard an explosion,” he said.

Joseph Arduini, owner of Impact ATA Martial Arts in Northgate Plaza in Jackson Township, said he was notified by some of his earlier classes about the fire and they warned him to expect smaller classes in the evening.

“In my last class, I had like four kids. Typically, it will get anywhere between 16 and 20 students. During spring break, my classes are usually small, but they’re not that small,” he said.

Tuesday’s classes had yet to begin, but Arduini said he expected normal class sizes since traffic was no longer impacted.

As for next steps, Joel Grobe with the Zelienople Area Business Association said Tuesday evening the organization met briefly Monday evening to discuss the fire. He said representatives will be reaching out to both businesses this week to see what help it can provide.

“(The florist) is new to Zelienople. They’ve only been here for a few months now, so we’re looking to reach out here probably tomorrow and see what we can do to help them. Same with the salon. They’ve been here a long time and (Davis) previously served on our board,” he said.

As for Bill Vogel, the tenant of the upstairs apartment, Grobe said he heard there is a GoFundMe to support getting him back on his feet.

As of Tuesday evening, the “Help Bill Vogel Rebuild After Apartment Fire” fundraiser has brought in over $1,600.

“That’s the thing about Zelienople. It’s so tight knit and everyone comes together during times like these to support each other,” Grobe said.